On August 11, 2022, Cristina Santos, loving wife, mother, and Lola, passed away.
Cristina was born on March 9, 1946, in Atlag, Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines, to Eduardo and Evangelina Silva-netto. One of two girls and five boys, she moved with her parents to Valenzuela, Philippines at age 16. It was there, at Caloocan Unida Church where her father was pastor, that Cristina met her future husband, Arturo Santos. Cristina and Arturo graduated from Philippine Christian University in 1966 and married in Washington, D.C. United States on September 4, 1971.
Cristina and Arturo were “church planters”, establishing Bible study and prayer meeting groups along the East Coast from New Jersey to Florida, many of which grew into Filipino-American churches. The couple helped people feel comfortable learning about God’s love by incorporating the Filipino language and customs into church services and activities – and especially Filipino food, which Cristina loved to cook and prepared for the weekly gatherings.
She was also an entrepreneur, owner and operator of five laundromats with snack shops in Tampa from 1986 to 1997 before moving on to Associated Marine Institute / AMI Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth develop into responsible and productive citizens. She remained there until her ‘retirement’ – which lasted only a year before her energetic nature called her back to work as a caregiver. Proud of and committed to her community, Cristina was a dedicated fundraiser for the Philippine Cultural Foundation in Tampa.
In her last Facebook post, on July 29, 2022 Cristina wrote: “I can fully serve the Lord to the fullest until the day He takes me home to His Glory! ‘ONLY ONE LIFE will SOON PASS, but what’s done for CHRIST will LAST.’ I encourage everyone to serve, commit our life to Him alone! He will never leave us or forsake us.”
Cristina was preceded in death by her father, Eduardo, her mother, Evangelina, and her brother, Danny. She is survived by her husband, Arturo, daughters Grace and Joy, son-in-law Ricky, grandchildren Ciara Faith and America, sister Abigail, and brothers Benoni, Ephraim, Gomer and Bobby.
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