Elvira Desierto

1948 - 2020

Elvira Desierto
On Sunday, December 6, 2020 Elvira Gonzaga Desierto, wife and mother of five children, passed away at age 72. She battled cancer for several years and died peacefully in her home in Saint Augustine, Florida.
Her funeral service will be held 10 AM Monday December 14, 2020 at St. Joseph's Historic Old Church followed by internment at Craig Memorial Park Cemetery in Saint Augustine, Florida. A visitation will be held 3 PM - 7 PM Sunday December 13, 2020 at Craig Funeral Home.
Elvira Gonzaga Desierto was born on March 19, 1948 in San Juan Rizal, Philippines to Pacita and Panfilo Gonzaga. She studied nursing at Far Eastern University and Arellano University, Manila. She worked as a staff nurse in Northern Virginia until she retired in 2016. Elvira had a tireless work ethic; she defined the concept of diligence.
On January 12, 1974, she married Hermogenes Damo Desierto. They raised five children. In 1990, Elvira and her family moved from the Philippines and immigrated into the United States specifically in Northern Virginia to start a new life as she always dreamed of having a big house in America.
Elvira had a passion for sewing, fashion, cosmetology, gardening, and interior design. In her free time, she could be found arranging plants in her home, tending to her garden for several hours, or sewing and altering clothes and curtains. Though cooking was not her favorite activity, Elvira's family remembers her signature Filipino dishes – kare-kare, pancit, fruit salad, and cassava cake.
Elvira was devoted to Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was a committed church attender. Her siblings remember her as someone who always led the rosary prayers in her family. Elvira religiously celebrated Jesus Christ's Birthday, her favorite holiday, by organizing Christmas décor in her home, wrapping gifts in intricate ways, and giving alms to those in need.
Elvira was hardworking, persistent, resilient, and organized. She had high expectations for others and compelled others to make strides in their own work ethic. She was fearless in expressing an unpopular truth or challenging an injustice and wrongdoing. Though she was stern, she was generous to those who needed help and strongly believed in the principle of fairness and equality.
Elvira was preceded in death by her parents, Panfilo and Pacita Gonzaga, and her older brothers, Armando and Salvador. She is survived by her husband, Hermogenes; her five children – Howell, Dennis, Carlo, Ryan, and Gregory; her siblings – Ernesto, Lourdes, Josephine, Alicia, Carmen, and Aida; and her three grandchildren, Alise, Emils, and Warren.