It is with broken hearts and incredible sadness that we announce our dear Maria Dulce Cruz Butalon was called home on October 5, 2023, at the age of 57. The world will never be the same without the most loving daughter, sister, aunt, grandaunt, cousin, and friend anyone could ever wish for.
Missing her terribly, her mother Carmelita, siblings Melanie and Edwin, Carmela and Allan, Celina and Jaycee, and Michelle; niece and nephews, Monica Mae and Christian, David, Matthew, John, and James; grandchildren Annabelle, Noah, and Teddy; as well as numerous loved ones and friends.
Dulce was born in Parañaque, Philippines, on July 25, 1966, to her late father Bienvenido and mother Carmelita. She was the second of five daughters.
Dulce attended Olivarez College in the Philippines and earned her accounting degree in 1986 where she graduated as Summa Cum Laude. She was the very first to earn this highest distinction where no one has attained for at least 30 years.
She started her career in PCIBank Philippines in 1987 as a clerk, worked her way up to become a manager and stayed for 13 years. In the US, she worked for a retailer as a customer service clerk then later as an accountant for a distribution company. In Canada, she took pride when she started her career as a cashier at Walmart. Later she joined Quadreal and worked as a payable’s administrator and banking supervisor.
Her peers know her for her exceptional dedication to work and remember her most for her gift of turning difficult situations into light and handy with her cheerfulness, optimism, and witty humor.
Her unwavering strength and courage were best shown in her 20 years living on her own away from family. She always said, “I’m never lonely even if I’m alone because I have my family”. She showed that living by herself is empowering and an opportunity to go beyond her limits and not a situation that people should take pity for.
She started her cancer journey last year where she single-handedly and bravely faced her battle head on.
Dulce undeniably devoted her life to us, her family, and we’ll always be eternally grateful that she put us above anything else.
She is the best role model of remarkable courage, unwavering strength, and selfless love. She was the most loving daughter who looked after her parents and who was the most compassionate to extend her motherly care for her sisters, niece, nephews, and grandchildren.
As much as we want her to stay, we find peace in knowing that she will not feel greater pain. We deeply miss her, but we take comfort in knowing that her beautiful spirit lives within us. She may have left too soon, but she leaves behind an extraordinary gift of a life truly meaningful, inspiring, and well-lived.
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