Pacita Solomon Tan

Pacita Tan, 77, passed peacefully into God’s embrace surrounded by the love of her family. Born in the Philippines with her 5 siblings, she carried with her a faith so steady it became the foundation of everything she built — her marriage, her home, her children, and her legacy.

Pacita married the love of her life, Ricardo, in Manila in 1979. Two years later, she left the Philippines to join him in San Francisco, beginning a new chapter with characteristic courage and grace. They settled in South San Francisco, where they raised their family and planted roots that would hold for decades.

She was a woman who made every room warmer. Her laugh was immediate and infectious — the kind that invited everyone in. She had a gift for silliness, for finding joy in small moments, and for making the people around her feel seen and loved. It should come as no surprise that she also had a talent for seeing what others couldn’t — she played matchmaker more than once, and a few of the couples in this room today are together because of her.

She and Ricardo shared a love of ballroom dancing, gliding across the floor with the ease of two people perfectly in step. She traveled the world with her cherished friends, collecting memories and deepening bonds that spanned continents. That love of food and adventure was something she and her daughter Rachel carried together — exploring new places and new tables, side by side. Nothing brought her more joy than time with her children and the particular delight of her grandchildren, Adonis and Nia, whose energy and laughter she met with her own.

Above all else, Pacita anchored herself to God. She prayed with conviction, loved with intention, and lived with a generosity of spirit that touched everyone fortunate enough to know her.

She is survived by her husband, Ricardo; her son Richard; her daughter Rachel, son in law Jay, and her grandchildren, Adonis and Nia, her sister Anita, and her many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews all over the world  — who will carry her laugh, her light, and her love forward.

“She left the world quieter, and our hearts fuller for having known her.”