Lourdes Rosarito (Yap) Lagman, resident of Lynnfield and formerly of Melrose, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, April 11, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Lourdes was born on March 13, 1936, to the late Macario and Irene (Cabrera) Yap in Manila, Philippines. Raised in a family whose business was education and which highly valued it in all forms, she graduated high school in 1953 from St. Theresa's College Manila and then received her bachelor's degree in English Literature with a minor in Math from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, in 1957. While there, Lourdes continued to advance her studies in piano at the world-acclaimed UST Conservatory of Music. She then went on to receive her master's in Education from Ateneo University in Quezon City, Philippines.

In 1964, Lourdes married the love of her life, Ruben "Ben" Lagman, with whom she shared nearly 62 years of marriage.

Lourdes, Ben, and their young daughter immigrated to the United States in 1969. They initially lived in Marshfield, MA, but eventually settled in Melrose where they raised their family and made their home for 36 years. She had a few odd jobs early on - including as an "Avon Lady" and as a salesperson at the Saugus Sears Roebuck Company's records department -- but Lourdes made her career as a hospital unit secretary for 30 years, mostly for New England Memorial Hospital (later renamed Boston Regional Medical Center) in Stoneham.

Giving was her love language. She was known to give the pearls right off her neck, was the first to volunteer to accompany a friend to a doctor's appointment, and always welcomed into her home anyone who could use a cup of tea and some good conversation. She was such a trusted confidante and sounding board to her nieces and nephews that many of them considered her their second mother.

She loved gatherings of family and friends, and hosted innumerable July 4th barbecues, Christmas dinners, and New Year's Eve celebrations. Somehow, Lourdes managed to get the food on the table, wash the dishes, chat with guests, and still entertain the crowds on the piano, all with her signature zest for life and boundless energy! She never forgot a birthday, anniversary, or holiday and even when her memory became a challenge, she considered keeping connections with loved ones by sending greeting cards as one of her most important tasks.

Once retired, Lourdes and Ben moved in with their daughter and her family in Lynnfield. The couple spent a lot of time traveling throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. When home, Lourdes filled her days volunteering at St. Maria Goretti Church in Lynnfield, teaching piano to seniors at the Lynnfield Senior Center, and playing the piano while she and Ben led a weekly sing-along at the Saugus Senior Center. Lourdes and her family also volunteered at an organization that set up libraries in poor communities in the Philippines, and eventually founded their own charitable organization that served the impoverished in the Philippines by establishing libraries in public schools, outfitting a hospital waiting room for pediatric cancer patients, funding a community garden, and funding a feeding program for the malnourished students at a school, among many other initiatives.

Whether she was happy and wanted to share her joy, worried and wanted to work through her fears, or upset and wanted a release for her ire, Lourdes always turned to two things: God and her piano. Her strong Catholic faith was the lens through which she lived her entire life. But the piano was her best friend and life-long companion, with whom she shared her deepest secrets, troubles, and delights.

Lourdes is survived by her devoted husband Ben Lagman; her cherished daughter Marie Arlene Lagman and her husband Kevin Prouty; the lights of her life, her grandsons Ryan Prouty and Kyle Prouty; her siblings Macario Yap of Colonia, NJ; Dr. Jesse Yap of Sarasota, FL; Dr. Remedios Strickland of Saugus, MA; and Victoria Salvador Hubner of Queensland, Australia; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughter Kim and her sister Josephine Santamaria.

Relatives and friends are invited to gather in honor of Lourdes life during Visiting Hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose on Wednesday, April 15 from 3-6pm, and again on Thursday at 8:30am before leaving in procession to St. Maria Goretti Church, 112 Chestnut St., Lynnfield for her Funeral Mass on Thursday, April 16 at 10am. Gifts in Lourdes's memory may be made to Ave Maria Parish, 17 Grove Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940.