Beauty queen-actress Azenith Briones was about to attend a meeting on Tuesday afternoon in Manila but when she learned that her mother-in-law Erlinda Reyes had died on Monday, she postponed all her meetings.
She went to San Pablo City as quickly as possible.
"I had to go home immediately," said Azenith, 1975 Mutya ng Pilipinas Most Photogenic and a Binibining Pilipinas aspirant.
"My mother-in-law was a compassionate woman. She was very kind. She was wonderful," added Briones, one of the hosts of the online show "A2Zenith" with entertainment writer Obette Serrano at the Water Plus Productions' office and studio at Scout Gandia in Quezon City.
"I am sad with my mother-in-law's passing. I will miss her sorely," Zenith exclaimed.
She became a daughter-in-law of Erlinda when she married the latter's son Elrey Reyes, Eleuterio Reyes in real life.
After Azenith purposely stopped her showbiz career in the mid-80s, she had come to her senses and started a normal family life.
The Reyeses at the time were successful business people in San Pablo City especially in the gaming sports enterprise.
Zenith and Elrey started to build a family without him interfering or barring her from associating with showbiz people.
Although Azenith was scarce in personal appearances in showbiz parties and events, she was very active in the family's business but would connect with entertainment celebrities in her free time.
Until the couple was able to make their family businesses bigtime.
After so many years, unfortunately, Elrey figured in a deadly fire that suffocated him at Resorts World Manila when a man set ablaze parts of the hotel-casino.
Elrey died instantly.
The couple was blessed with four kids, namely Jordan, John Rey. Preciosa and James Matthew.
Elrey's mom died of a heart attack with complications.
She was 87.
Erlinda's remains were buried in a cemetery in San Pablo City.
Many residents of the city had paid their last respects to Erlinda whose body laid in state at the Reyes' ancestral house at Akinario Street near Balagtas Boulevard in the city.
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