Rufina Mercado Rafi, 89 years old of Skokie, IL, formerly from Kenosha, WI, passed over to the Kingdom of God on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at her home. She was surrounded by her eight children.
She was born on February 26, 1936, in the Philippines. The second daughter of the late Alejo Fama Mercado and Maria Reyes Mercado, she was married to Rizalino Bujatin Rafi, who preceded her in death in 2004. She is survived by her children, Riza (William Norcross, deceased) Renato, Rizalino Jr. (Grace), Ramer, Ruel (Cecille), Rosalyn (Charles) Topping, Realina (Anthony) Baird, and Rene, and her grandchildren Dasnyl (Dax) Miller, Lauren (Nicolas Malliarakis), Elizabeth, Naomi, Jadine (Dana Hill), Jana, Ryan Baird, Rachel (Noah Cortez) Baird, Emily Topping and Michael Topping.
Rufina was an Emergency Room nurse and a graduate from the University of the Philippines. She worked in different hospitals in the United States before settling down in Chicago, Illinois. She retired in 2004 after working for many years at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
She and her husband were faithful parishioners of St. Anne Catholic Church in Pleasant Prairie, WI, where she will receive her final services.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Monday, July 7, 2025, at St. Anne Catholic Church located at 9091 Prairie Ridge Blvd., Pleasant Prairie, WI. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m.
Private interment will be held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Sunset Ridge Memorial Park in Kenosha, WI.