Olga Beatriz Villarroel

OLGA BEATRÍZ HUMÉREZ DE VILLARROEL
July 13, 1935 – October 29, 2025
Olga maintained throughout her life a warm and positive spirit through both good times and hard times, serving as the steadfast anchor of her family. She met every moment with empathy, gentleness, and grace. Beautiful and ethereal, she gave freely of her time, listened deeply, comforted those in need, and inspired everyone who crossed her path with her quiet strength and boundless heart.
Olga Beatríz Humérez de Villarroel went home to the Great Spirit in the Sky on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, surrounded by love. Born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on July 13, 1935, to Benigno Humérez and Julieta Seleme de Humérez, Olga's life was a luminous thread woven through courage, intellect, and compassion.
Olga was born in 1935, as the Chaco War came to an end and Bolivia began to rebuild from its losses - a nation caught between sorrow and renewal. When her father left for exile in 1940, and her mother Julieta passed away in 1947, Olga, then only twelve, and her younger sisters Norah and Blanca grew up with their grandparents, Julio and Bernita. Despite hardship, the three sisters excelled at the German private school they attended - proof that for Olga, education was always the first language of freedom.
A lifelong learner, she earned her secondary diploma from the Colegio Alemán Santa Maria de Bolivia and later completed her first degree in Bilingual Business Administration at the American Institute in Cochabamba and taught Business courses at the Canadian Business School in Cochabamba. Decades later, she fulfilled a cherished dream by graduating from Saint Norbert College in Wisconsin with a degree in French and Spanish Literature. Olga served as the first Hispanic Advisor at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, guiding countless students who, like her, carried two homelands within their hearts.
In 1958, after four years of courtship, she married her beloved husband, Ing. Germán Villarroel, a Bolivian biochemist and engineer. Together they built a life of devotion and discovery - from the Andes to the oil fields of El Chaco Boreal, from North Dakota to Wisconsin - always as partners in purpose and love. She helped him realize his dream of becoming a chemical engineer, and he, in turn, admired her luminous intellect and strength.
Beyond her roles as wife and mother, Olga was a teacher, linguist, and artist of the spirit. She spoke four languages, taught literacy to at-risk learners, co-curated exhibitions of mathematical artwork, and composed songs that lulled generations - from her children to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren - gently to sleep. She was active in book clubs, women's circles, literacy campaigns, and professional women's organizations, always believing that every word learned was a door opened toward dignity and freedom.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Germán, and her brothers, Jaime and Carlos. She is survived by her beloved sisters Norah (widow of Gilles Comtois) and Blanca (widow of Lloyde Richmond,Jr.); her children Gabriel (Leonor) and Gratzia (Richard); her grandchildren Raquel, Germán, Gabriela, Daniela, and Arthur; and nine great-grandchildren who reflect her legacy of love, resilience, and joy.
After her husband Germán's passing in 1991, Olga spent the majority of her life in the loving care and companionship of her daughter, Gratzia, whose home had also been a place of comfort for her father in his final days. Her son, Gabriel, brought her great happiness during his visits, which she cherished ever so deeply. Surrounded by devotion and peace, she passed gently, leaving her family with memories of enduring love.
Friends may call at Ryan Funeral Home from 4:00PM Monday, November 3, 2025. A service of remembrance will begin at 6:00PM. Visitation will continue Tuesday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Green Bay at 9:30AM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30AM with Fr. Paul Demuth officiating.
Especial gratitude goes to Germáncito and Arturito, whose care during her final years and days was an act of pure devotion; to Raquelita, who accompanied her with love for several years before coming to the U.S.; to Richard Hurst - "el doctor" - her devoted son-in-law; to Noni, her cherished daughter-in-law, for lovingly organizing the Bolivian memorial; and to María Anda, for her compassionate personal care and gentle touch that kept her beautiful to the end. Deep appreciation also goes to the members of IRIS, especially Panhia, and to the St. Croix Hospice staff - Dan, Amy, Traci, Vai, Clive, Trish, Fr. James, Sabina, Lili, Lea, and Eric - who surrounded her with tenderness and respect in her final days. Heartfelt thanks also to Fr. Paul DeMuth for blessing our family with his presence, and to the members of Ryan Funeral Home, including Scott and Rebecca, and to all who prayed for and supported our family during this time.Many people whose souls and communities intertwine with our own must also remark this loss, for none who ever met Olga Humérez could remain long unmoved by her kindness and self-determination.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who reached out with kindness, prayers, and generous gestures - for the food, the visits, the messages, and the countless expressions of comfort that sustained us over these past two weeks. Your love has been a blessing beyond measure.
To her family, she was everything - the keeper of stories, the bridge between worlds, the light that never dimmed. Her journey began in the midst of Bolivia's last war and ended in grace, in Wisconsin. She lived through exile, poverty, and loss, yet she taught love, believed in beauty, and read the world as sacred text.
O may your memory be eternal, nuestra hermosa Mamita.