Vanier was saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Carmelita Sideco, a former faculty member of the Vanier Nursing Department who died on February 25, 2009. Our deepest sympathies are extended to her friends and family. Carmelita’s life was featured in an extensive profile in the Montreal Gazette of March 8th.

Pillar of the Filipino community
Nursing teacher, Parish priest called her “Miss Sunshine
ALAN HUSTAK, THE GAZETTE / March 8, 2009

As a nursing instructor at Vanier college for 25 years, Carmelita Ongpauco Sideco was an energetic den mother to hundreds of Filipino-born nurses and nannies in Montreal. Active in the Filipino community, Sideco was founding president of the Phillipine Folk Art Society of Quebec and chairperson of the Montreal chapter of the Overseas Philippine Tourism Advisory Council.

She died of pneumonia at the Royal Victoria Hospital on Feb. 25, one month shy of her 74th birthday.

“She was a saint of a woman,” said Marika Coulourides, who was on the board when Sideco was president of the Montreal Chamber Orchestra. “She was very devoted to Filipino causes, to Filipino identity and culture. She put her heart and soul into it. Her aim was to build a Filipino community centre in Montreal.”

Carmelita Ongpauco was born in Nagcarlan, Laguna, in the Philippines on March 25, 1935. She was the second of three children in a school teacher’s family. She obtained her nursing degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1955 and emigrated to the United States in 1958. In 1960, she came to Canada to work at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. John, N.B., before moving to Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital in 1963, where she became assistant director of the hospital’s school of nursing. After the Quebec government closed private hospital nursing schools in 1972, Sideco taught nursing at Vanier College.

At the same time, she continued her studies and received a diploma in Collegial Education from McGill University in 1987, before furthering her studies at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Cheerful and forever an optimist, her parish priest nicknamed her Miss Sunshine.

After she retired from Vanier in 1997, she became a consultant in community affairs and human resources. She was on the board of the University Women’s Club, a founding member of the Filipino Nurses Association of Quebec, on the board of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations, an executive member of the English Speaking Catholic Council of Montreal and a director of the Mount Royal Liberal Party association.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Irwin Cotler, the member of Parliament for Mount Royal, remembered Sideco as a trusted adviser on community health-care issues.

“She was one of the great and beloved pillars not only of the Filipino community but of the larger community of Quebecers and Canadians,” said Cotler. “She personified the best of Filipino values of commitment, compassion, community service and selfless giving of herself for the well-being of others.”

“Carmelita was a leader,” he said later in a telephone interview. “She was a wonderful, kind, compassionate, committed and engaged woman.”

Cotler said the Filipino community was the first ethnic community he spoke to after winning the riding in 1999 by-election, and ever since it is always the first constituency he visits after each election victory.

Sideco’s son, Arne, said he remembers his mother as “being always on the phone. She had friends everywhere, her conversations were cross-cultural, cross-generational. She liked to provide leadership without being overstated. She operated under the radar, but she was an achiever.”

Sideco leaves her husband of 48 years, Edgardo Sideco, a physiatrist, and four sons, Eric, Ian, Neil and Arne.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

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Below is her full obituary notice.

CARMELITA ONGPAUCO SIDECO
Born March 25, 1935 Lita Sideco, wife, mother, teacher and devoted community organizer, passed away suddenly of complications from pneumonia on February 25, 2009. She will be sadly missed by her loving husband, Dr. Edgardo Sideco, their sons, Eric (and Sonia), Ian (and Valerie), Neil (and Sabine) and Arne (and Julie) and their families. She will be equally missed by her extended family and multitude of friends throughout Canada, the Philippines and other parts of the world.

After distinguishing herself academically, Lita’s nursing career path brought her from Manila, Philippines to America and then to Montreal where she enjoyed a successful and rewarding career as an administrator, clinician and assistant director of the School of Nursing at the Jewish General Hospital. She had a passion for teaching and went on to become a nursing teacher at Vanier College until her retirement. She served as role model to young nurses, teaching values of selflessness and professionalism.

She had a passion for the arts and a special love for music. She was President of the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, a Friend of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and patron to aspiring musicians and artists. Among her Filipino community involvement, she was the Founding President of the Philippine Folk Art Society of Quebec (PFASQ) and the first female President of the Philippine Association of Montreal and Suburbs (FAMAS). In addition, she was a member and supporter of the Filipino Nurses’ Association of Quebec (FNAQ), the Federation of Philippine Canadian Association of Quebec and a founding member of the Philippine Centre Foundation of Greater Montreal. She supported many other associations related to the promotion of Philippine culture within the province of Quebec.

Carmelita was active in many associations as a supporting member of municipal, provincial and federal parties, serving on the board of directors for the Federal Liberal Party, Mount Royal Riding and serving on the Executive Council for Centre de Recherche Action sur les Relations Raciales (CRARR).

She received many civic nominations and accolades; including being twice honored by the Women’s Y Foundation with Highest distinction – for the Advancement of Women. She also received the Award of Recognition, by the Philippine Ambassador to Canada; the Certificate of Merit by the English Speaking Catholic Council and was winner of the Mabuhay Award for most outstanding Filipino in Canada.

The family will receive condolences at the Centre Funeraire Cote Des Neiges, 4525 chemin de la Cote des Neiges, Montreal, Quebec, 514-342-8000. Viewing hours are from Sunday, March 1, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday, March 2, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at the Annunciation of our Lady Church, 75 Roosevelt Avenue, Mount-Royal, Quebec on Tuesday, March 3 at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Philippine Centre Foundation of Greater Montreal; any of the several Filipino organizations; or to your local church or religious institution. Carmelita will be sadly missed but her spirit will live on forever.

Posted in 2000-2009