RIP Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo October 23, 1941 - December 18, 2025

Dear SIM Members,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to tell you of Rory Ocampo's passing.

She was a beloved SIM member since January 1, 2007.  Rory was devoted to our mission and we will miss her very much.

May she Rest in Peace.

Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo
October 23, 1941 - December 18, 2025

Aurora Nazareno Ocampo peacefully entered eternal life on December 18, 2025. She was born in Indang, Cavite, Philippines on October 23, 1941 to Tomas and Rosela Nazareno. Rory had three sisters, Celia, Fe and Luz and three brothers, Marino, Nardo and Ruben and she was godmother to 16 nieces and nephews.

She was a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve and the widow of Manuel Set Ocampo, United States Navy. Rory was a gratified sister of a U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force veterans and proud aunt of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine veterans.

Rory was a multi-award Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at the Department of Health, City of New York. Later on, she was a supervisor in the Nursing and Quality/Utilization Management at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Brooklyn Campus.

A consistent honor student in high school, she was Miss Centro Escolar University and was honored to walk with Miss Philippines and Miss United Nations to lead the parade of nations at the school’s United Nations Day celebration in October 1956. She was president of the Senior Class, the Folk Dance Group and the Student Council in 1957-1958 and was the graduation Speaker of Centro Escolar University on March 25, 1988.

A graduate of the University the Philippines School of Nursing, Rory obtained her Master’s Degree in New York University and her Ph.D. at the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Developmental Institute.

She was membership chair for the Staten Island North Star for the last ten years and a 2006 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement. For 26 years she served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary of the Assumption Church and  volunteered at the Richmond County Fair for 30 years. Rory was given the Raymond Fingado award for Administration by the Staten Island Richmond Town Historical Society.

A Membership Advocate for the American Public Health Association, she was listed in the Biographical Roll of Honor, Historical Preservation of America, 1985 and in the World’s Who’s Who of Women, 1985.

Rory was president of non-profit organizations namely the Philippine-American Civic and Cultural Community of Staten Island, Inc. 1985-1987 and 2017-2019; University of the Philippines Alumni Association New York Chapter 2009-2011; University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association of New York/New Jersey 2001-2003; first woman president of the United Asian Lions Club 1992-1993; 1998-1999. She was District Governor of Lions Club International District 20R2, 2007-2008.

Her legacy is entertaining residents of nursing homes through music and dance which she originated in 1988 and continues to the present.

Aurora “Rory” Nazareno Ocampo is survived by her brother Nardo and three sisters: Celia Ledesma, Fe Martinez and Luz Bolden. She is predeceased by her brothers Marino and Rueben.

In Loving memory of a soul so kind. 

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Holiday Luncheon with SI New York City December 7, 2025

On Sunday, December 7, Soroptimist International of Manhattan held its annual Holiday Luncheon in a jointly sponsored event with Soroptimist International of New York City.  The two clubs came together for the first time at a Holiday Luncheon, giving members and guests of both clubs an opportunity to celebrate with old friends and meet new members from each club.

The venue for this event was the historic Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan, where George Washington famously bade farewell to this troops at the end of the Revolutionary War.

More than 30 Soroptimist members and their guests enjoyed the festive atmosphere and a Revolutionary War period inspired menu including New England clam chowder and slow roasted chicken pot pie. They heard guest speakers from the two clubs’ community service initiatives, and raised money for both clubs with raffle fundraisers and door prizes.

Community Service Initiatives and Speakers

Members of SI Manhattan and other attendees donated baby clothes and “Handbags of Hope” for women served by Hour Children, a leading provider of services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their families in New York State, headquartered in Astoria, Queens.  Members of SI New York City and other attendees contributed women’s winter items, such as new winter hats, scarves, gloves, and socks for Susan’s Place, a shelter for medically fragile homeless women in the Bronx operated by Care for the Homeless, which provides health care, shelter and policy advocacy to end homelessness in New York City.  

Cynthia Brackett, Chief Impact and Program Officer for Hour Children and Olivia Crocetto, Service Coordinator, For Women, By Women, Period, gave brief remarks discussing the work of their organizations.  For Women, By Women, Period is an organization founded in 2021 by students at St. John’s University in Queens who realized that many were unable to afford period supplies.  Their mission is to provide access to these products to those affected by period poverty, and pursue advocacy and education among diverse cultures to end the barriers, misconceptions, and stigma about menstruation. 

Some images from this successful event—

Soroptimists and guests settle in and prepare for the SIM/SINYC Holiday Luncheon 2025.

 

Baby clothes and “Handbags of Hope” filled with basic items such as hand lotion, sanitizer, tissues, and lip balm, collected for Hour Children. 

 

Special guest, Soroptimist North Atlantic Region Governor Elizabeth Peterson (center left), with SI Manhattan President, Charlynn Willis (center right), addresses the group.

 

Olivia Crocetto, Service Coordinator at For Women, By Women, Period, describes the work of her organization.

 

SI of Manhattan & SI 0f New York City's December 7th Holiday Luncheon and Fundraiser