On Friday, May 20, the Queen of Philippine Movies, Susan Roces, shocked the nation with her untimely death.
A few months before she could celebrate her 81st birthday, the veteran actress passed away.
On twitter, talent manager Ogie Diaz broke the news after tweeting, “Rest in peace, Tita Susan Roces.”
Rest in peace, Tita Susan Roces.😔🙏
— ogie diaz (@ogiediaz) May 20, 2022
Lawrence Sonora Cruz, son of actress Rosemarie Sonora, younger sister of Roces, also extended his condolences via facebook.
https://twitter.com/ogiediaz/status/1527660756283445248
A statement from Poe family on the passing of Ms. Susan Roces:
With great sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jesusa Sonora Poe, whom many of you know as Susan Roces. She passed away peacefully on a Friday evening, May 20, 2022, surrounded by love and warmth, with her daughter Grace, her nephews Joseph and Jeffrey and many of her family and close friends. She lived life fully and gracefully. Remember her in her beauty, warmth and kindness. She is now with the Lord and her beloved Ronnie — FPJ. We will miss her sorely but we celebrate a life well lived. Susan Roces — daughter, mother, grandmother, a true Filipina and a national treasure.
Known to the Philippines as Susan Roces, Jesusa Purificacion Levy Sonora-Poe was born on July 28, 1941. She was married to the late Da King Fernando Poe Jr., and Sen. Grace Poe is their adoptive daughter.
The late actress had her first film Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan, at age eleven (11), where she played an orphan girl. From then on, she did 66 other movies until 2003.
Her first TV show was in 1996 where she starred in Maalaala Mo Kaya: Pahiram ng Isang Pasko. 11 other teleseryes and sitcoms followed next.
Roces was last seen as the loving grandmother “Lola Flora” in the longest-running Kapamilya action-drama series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which her late husband first popularized.