By Justin McClelland

Staff Writer

Purificacion de Jesus was a world traveller who loved Hamilton and was always looking for ways to give back to the community.

De Jesus died Saturday from complications of a stroke at the age of 73.

De Jesus was born in Guaga, Pampanga, Philippines, in 1938 and became an accountant in her native country. In the 1970s, she began doing accounting work for Operation: Brotherhood, a charitable medical organization akin to the Red Cross, in the war-torn country of Laos. In 1975, she met and married Raul de Jesus, who was working as a doctor, said her son, Jij De Jesus. The couple fled the unstable country shortly after their marriage and ended up in Ohio, first Adams County and in 1980 moving to Hamilton.

“She wasn’t a good mom, she was the best mom,” Jij said. “She took care of all the thankless tasks like cooking and cleaning and she was always very involved in our lives.”

De Jesus worked as an accountant for the Hamilton YMCA and oversaw her two sons’ swim team. She was heavily involved in St. Peter in Chains Church and also worked as a board member for Mekong Circle International, a group that worked to provide aid to Laos.

“Giving back was always important to here,” Jij said. “When I came back here, I was just overwhelmed by the show of love and generosity from the community. People have stopped and told me how much they missed her. I think it spoke to just how involved in the community she was.”

De Jesus is survived by her husband Raul, and two sons, Anthony and Jij, and several other family members.