Imelda Bernardo Buendia

Imelda Bernardo Buendia, MD
1944 – 2021

Imelda Buendia, 76, of Norman, OK passed away Sunday, January 17, 2021. She was born November 12th,1944 in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines to Carlos Bernardo and Coleta De La Cruz.

Imelda grew up in the place of her birth. She graduated Valedictorian in her high school, Colegio de San Jose. After college, she completed her medical degree at the University of the Philippines in 1969. She married her medical school classmate, Arsenio Buendia, in 1971 in the Philippines. Two weeks after the wedding, they migrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for family medicine residency. After residency, she worked for the Indian Health Service as Clinical Director of Wewoka Indian Clinic and Facility Director of the El Reno Indian Clinic. She retired in 2010 after serving 35 years with Indian Health Service. She has served as a physician in several medical mission trips to the Philippines. She was the original and long time music director in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Wewoka, OK. She will be remembered by her family as a loving wife, mother and grandmother, dedicated physician, and world traveler.

She was preceded in death by her parents. Imelda is survived by her husband, Arsenio Buendia, her children Elaine Kling (of Houston, TX), Joseph Buendia (of Oklahoma City, OK) and Adrian Buendia (of Norman, OK) and her grandchildren Brian Jr Kling, Ethan Kling, Lillian Kling, Madaline Buendia, Bennett Buendia, Adrian Buendia and Elliot Buendia, her sister in-law, Annabelle Buendia of Oklahoma City, OK and her numerous cousins, nephews and nieces in the Philippines and the United States.

Wake services will begin at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at St. Mark’s the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman, OK. Funeral Mass will begin at 10:00 am on Friday, January 22, 2021 at St. Mark’s the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman, OK.

Memorials may be made in memory of Imelda Buendia, MD to the American Cancer Society at donate3.cancer.org.

Streaming of the wake and funeral mass can be viewed on www.tribute.care.