At 5:55 a.m. on September 17, 2025, our beloved mom and Nana, was called home to the Lord at the age of 68. After a courageous and grace-filled battle with cancer since 2011, she left this world as she lived in it - faithful, strong, and surrounded by love.

Bernice was born on January 15, 1957, in Sinajana, Guam, to the late Jesus Quichocho Toves and Margarita Tenorio Toves. She later became the devoted wife of the late Bernard Jesse Quintanilla Franquez, with whom she shared deep love until his passing in 1991.

For more than 20 years, Bernice worked as a case manager, where she was a fierce advocate for people with disabilities. Her compassion for others and determination to fight for justice left a mark on countless lives. In 2003, she retired from her career and moved her family to Houston, Texas, to build a legacy of opportunity and hope for her children. She delighted in planting, sewing, interior decorating, and fashion, always bringing beauty and care into the lives around her.

She is survived by her children and grandchildren:

Berdine and Steve Roque, with their children Ikeah and Jordan, Isaiah and Keigan, and Cirina.

Bernard "BJ" Franquez and Lisa Sablan, with their daughter Isla.

Jaylynn and Joe Ramirez.

She is also survived by her siblings Florence and Jim Woolfork, Doris Barcinas (widow of Fred), Elizabeth Mesa (widow of Raymond), and Marie and Lawrence Aflague, along with their children and grandchildren.

She is also survived by her in-laws, Roland and Angelina Franquez, Doris Franquez (widow of Gilbert), Michael and Cathy Franquez, Julie and George Perez, Lawrence and Raquel Franquez, and Lucian Franquez, along with their children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Jesse Quintanilla Franquez; her parents, Jesus Quichocho Toves and Margarita Tenorio Toves; her parents-in-law, Francisca Cruz Quintanilla Franquez and Jesus Garrido Franquez; her brothers-in-law Fred Barcinas, Raymond Mesa, and Gilbert Franquez; and Antonia Quintanilla, affectionately known as Mama Tona.

To those who knew her, Bernice was a Proverbs 31 woman, clothed with strength and dignity, steadfast in prayer, and generous in love. Her life was her testimony: to her children, to her faith, and to her God.

A nine-day nightly Rosary will be prayed in her honor from September 17 through September 25, 2025, at 7:00 PM CST. Family and friends are welcome to join virtually. Please reach out to the family or contact Darst Funeral Home at (281) 312-5656 for details.

Bernice will be blessed by a priest before being laid to rest through cremation. The family will bring her home to Guam in January 2026 for a Mass, memorial, and her final resting place beside her beloved husband.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed. Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." - Proverbs 31:28–29

Her legacy of faith and love will live on in all who knew her.