Aurora De Jesus

Aurora Furagganan De Jesus passed away peacefully on June 5, 2018, surrounded by her loving family.

Aurora was born on September 30, 1938 in Aparri, Philippines. Though she was of humble beginnings, even at a young age she was determined to become a doctor. She excelled in school and graduated as valedictorian of her 1955 high school class. She went on to get her medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas, where again, she graduated with honors. After medical school, she moved to the United States to do her residencies at Mt. Sinai Hospital of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital.

She held a University Appointment at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where she was also a Clinical Professor faculty member. She continued periodically as visiting lecturer up until a few years ago.

From 1973 to 1978, she was the Medical Director at Health Hill Hospital for Children in Cleveland, and then returned to Metro to assume the position of Associate Director of the Comprehensive Care Program.

Throughout her long and diverse medical career, her true passion has always been caring for children. She worked for several years at Metro and Kaiser Permanente as a Developmental Pediatrician, serving special needs children. She traveled back to her homeland on several medical missions, helping those in need in rural areas. Her giving spirit further continued by financially supporting several students from her hometown, to get them through high school and into college.

She will always be remembered for her ongoing curiosity, as well as her continuous research and knowledge of everything from medicine to world history to politics.

After almost 60 years of doing what she loved in the medical field, she finally retired in 2016 at the age of 77.

Aurora was a voracious reader of any and all books. Her strong belief that you need to learn new things everyday fueled this hobby and influenced many choices when she traveled. She traveled extensively with her family when they were young, and then her husband when their kids left for college. She has been to Europe, Asia and the Middle East several times.

Aurora is preceded in death by her father, Juan, her mother, Remedios. She is survived by her sister Salvacion Paggabao,her loving husband of 53 years, Ernesto, who was the love of her life. And by her children Anna Marie De Jesus (Jamie), Grace Hawk (Scott) and Ernest De Jesus (Carey). She also had four loving grandchildren: Owen, Dylan, Derek and Lucy.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Our Lady of Peace Church, 12601 Shaker Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120 where a Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, June 16 at 11:00 a.m..