The iconic actress Susan Roces, the “Queen of Philippine Movies,” has passed away, according to Sen. Grace Poe on her social media post. Her mother was 80.
“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,” Poe said in her statement.
Netizens were in disbelief when it spread on social on Friday night that the beloved ‘Lola Flora’ of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano passed away.
A post on Facebook by Susan’s nephew Lawrence Cruz Sonora on Friday, May 20, “RIP Mama Inday,” pulled at the heartstrings of many netizens. Lawrence is the son of former actress Rosemarie Sonora, the younger sister of Susan, who is now based in the US.
There’s an outpour of condolences on social media as the movie queen is a dearly loved personality both onscreen and offscreen.
The Queen of Philippine Movies
Susan Roces was born Jesusa Purificacion Levy Sonora at the Harrison Hospital in Pasay City on July 28, 1941.
She was everyone’s Lola Flora for more than six years in the hit series, FPJ’s ng Probinsiyano; playing the role of grandmother to Coco Martin’s character, Ricardo Dalisay. Before that, she was the loving wife of the late Da King Fernando Poe Jr. and doting mother / grandmother to Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares and her children respectively.
She was in the showbiz industry for nearly seven decades and dearly revered by everyone.
For long-time friend Baby K Jimenez, Susan is synonymous with being kind, sincere, thoughtful and intelligent and describes Susan’s 80 years as glorious decades, as per a The Diarist Ph story. “I can say she was blessed. But then, her name was also synonymous with humility. How she treats people is legendary. Talk of being kind and generous to a fault.”
The award-winning actress’ acting career started in 1952 with “Mga Bituin ng Kinabukasan” where she starred with Ike Lozada as an 11-year-old orphan girl. Having many hit movies after that earned her the title the “Queen of Philippine Movies”.
She was featured in the ‘Outstanding Filipinos’ by PhilPost earlier this year.