Juanita Pamisa Refol

Juanita Pamisa Refol was born on March 9, 1951, in Bobontugan, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. She celebrated two birthdays throughout her life—her real birthday on December 9 and the one listed on legal documents as March 9. In 1974, she married Rogelio Refol, and together they raised five children: Mary Jane, Jocelyn, Julius, Madelyn, and Regina.

Juanita was the cherished youngest child of her parents, Zosimo and Pacencia, who doted on her and rarely allowed her to do household chores, believing she would one day be the one to support the family. As a teenager, she occasionally skipped school to swim in the lake with friends, and she carried a deep love for nature and animals throughout her life. She completed her training in sewing, worked as a traditional Filipino “manghihilot” or healer while raising her children, and had a gentle presence that warmed every room she entered. She especially treasured her time alone in her bedroom listening to records by Elvis Presley, Victor Wood, and Pilita Corrales.

In April 2008, Juanita moved to the United States with her daughter Jocelyn and worked for fifteen years in the canneries in Alaska to help bring her family together. She returned to Washington whenever she could to be with her loved ones. In 2017, she purchased a five-acre property in North Ferndale with a fruit orchard and a stream running through it, a place she lovingly prepared for her children and grandchildren. She and her family spent years improving the land while gathering there for joyful celebrations. By 2025, she had retired and was finally enjoying time with her growing family, including fourteen grandchildren—Lance, Natasha, Warren, Nathalia, Lili, Iynne, Nick, Matt, Steve, Trisha, Zion Andrew, Zian Andrei, Princess, and John Patrick—and four great-grandchildren: Shaniah Layne, Shaina Gayle, Prince Gil, and Czarina Mae. She loved camping, swimming in the river, watching the children play in the snow, and making sure no one around her ever went hungry.

Juanita was the heart of her family, proud of every member and devoted to keeping them united. She found comfort in her faith and in dreams of her parents, who gently prepared her for the day she would rest. She is survived by her husband Rogelio, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She now rests peacefully with her parents and her oldest daughter, free from pain and surrounded by the love she gave so generously throughout her life. Her greatest wish was that her family would always choose one another, stay close, and support each other with the same love, empathy, and strength she showed them every day.