Carmelita Lariba

Carmelita Lariba, 67, of Niceville, FL suddenly passed away from a catastrophic brain hemorrhage on October 2, 2023. Memorial Services will be held at Heritage Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery on November 5, 2023, at 10am. There will be a wake/celebration of life following the service at Carmelita's home from 1-3pm.

Carmelita was born in Cebu, Philippines and lived, worked, and traveled all over the world. She was a dedicated Department of Defense contracting specialist and her work allowed her the opportunity to live across the United States and abroad too. She retired in 2019 in her beloved Niceville, FL, a town she and her family transferred to in the mid-90's and fell in love with; she always said she would return. Carmelita graduated the University of San Carlos in Cebu, Philippines with a bachelors of English and further continued her education at Troy University where she obtained her master’s in psychology and behavioral health counseling licensure. She loved working with people and had a heart of gold, she was always the first to jump at a chance to help someone no matter how busy her schedule was. The same love and passion were also evident in her favorite hobby, gardening. The beautiful flowers, herbs, and vegetables she grew were a byproduct of her love and she was always in her garden. She also loved to cook and bake; food was her love language, and she could often be found in her kitchen making something for her friends or co-workers. She was always impressed with her culinary skills. Carmelita's wanderlust kept her busy as well, she was always traveling with friends to discover new worlds and cultures, lovingly bringing knick-knacks from every trip to her beloved grandchildren. She always had a big smile on her face and in her heart, she was hyper and could never sit still, and loved nature. That smile and kind-hearted spirit will live on in each and every single person's life she touched.

Carmelita leaves behind her daughter, Carmelaine, and two beloved grandchildren, Aiden and Chloe.

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