Constantina San Pedro

March 11, 1941 - September 2, 2017

Constantina Gatchalian San Pedro, 76, of McKinney, TX, passed away Saturday, September 2, 2017.  She was born March 11, 1941 in Baguio City, Philippines to Gaudencio Mapalo Gatchalian and Gliceria Ulalan Moya. Constantina married Rolando David San Pedro on February 16, 1969 in Baguio City, Philippines and celebrated 48 years of marriage.Constantina was a dentist in the Philippines and worked at the University of California San Francisco in the Graduate Prosthodontics Department for over 20 years. There, she helped to train several generations of residents, many of whom stayed in touch with her long after finishing the program. She was considered the "mom" of the department and was extremely proud of her service at the university; her colleagues kept in contact with her long after her retirement and she would often visit them every time she was in San Francisco. Constantina was an avid gardener who shared her passion with anyone who asked. She was able to cultivate everything from roses to fruit trees, turning them into flourishing accents for any garden she tended to. She also loved to sew, cook, travel and work crossword puzzles to keep her mind sharp. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" is what she often told family and friends. Family was always at the center of Constantina's life and she doted on her grandchildren, Travis and Taylor. She will be missed greatly for her sense of humor, adventurous spirit and tremendous love and generosity for all those who came into her life.Constantina is survived by her husband, Rolando; daughter, Gisella Peterson and husband David of McKinney,TX; grandchildren, Travis San Pedro and Taylor Peterson; son Ron San Pedro and wife, Franziska of Portland, OR; sister, Herminigilda Fernandez and husband, Mike of Attleboro, MA; sister, Estrellita Urdas of Edmonton,Canada; sister, Ofelia Benedicto of CA; sister, Erlinda Carino and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gaudencio and Gliceria.A funeral mass will be held 11:30AM, Saturday, September 16, 2017 at St.Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney, TX with Rev. Charles Githinji officiating.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Samaritan Inn at www.thesamaritaninn.orgOnline condolences may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com.Services are under the direction of Terri Slay and Slay Memorial Funeral Center. To send a flower arrangement to the family of Constantina San Pedro, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.