Obituary of Thelma Biboso Vitalicio

Thelma Biboso Vitalicio, 94, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at home in Piscataway, NJ. Born in Barotac Nuevo, Philippines, Thelma attended Centro Escolar University, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, in 1953. With her degree, she went on to open her own Pharmacy and Drug Store in 1960 in the Philippines. In 1971, Thelma immigrated to the United States, settling in Jersey City, NJ, where she and her husband, Johnny, raised their three children. Here, she worked as an Admitting Clerk for Jersey City Medical Center, until her retirement in 1995, at the age of 65. In 1999, her and Johnny relocated to Piscataway, where they have lived since. A deeply religious woman, Thelma was an active parishioner of St. Aedan’s Church in in Jersey City, and often attended mass at St. Frances Cabrini RC Church in Piscataway. She was also a world traveler, traveling most of Europe, including Italy in 2017 on a religious pilgrimage, and Hawaii in 2018 and 2019, with family. When she wasn’t traveling, in her younger years, Thelma could be found bowling, in a local women’s league or the Filipino Bowling League in Jersey City, playing Mahjong with her friends, or going to a casino with her husband. She also loved to cook, was a self-taught piano player, and enjoyed crocheting, a hobby she proudly passed on to her granddaughter. Thelma is survived by her husband on 63 years, Johnny Vitalicio; children, Jon Vitalicio and his wife, Isabel, Margaret Yost and her husband Rick, and Marlon Vitalicio and his wife Marissa; and grandchildren, Raiden, Melanie, Jake, Jason, Joshua, and Jillian. She will also be missed by a host of extended relatives and friends. A visitation will be held at Piscataway Funeral Home, 18 Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ, on Sunday, August 24, 2025, from 11 AM to 3 PM. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Frances Cabrini RC Church, 208 Bound Brook Avenue, Piscataway, NJ, on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 10 AM. Family and friends are invited to gather at the funeral home prior to mass, beginning at 8:45 AM. Entombment will follow at Resurrection Burial Park, 899 E. Lincoln Avenue, Piscataway, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the Vitalicio Family has asked that donation be made to The American Red Cross, in Thelma’s name.