Dely Atay-Atayan - Death

Death

DELY Atay-atayan, John Puruntong's nagging mother-in-law, is dead of old age at 90. She passed away last Monday night, according to her family.

Adelaida Villegas, known to Filipinos as Doña Delilah on TV's "John en Marsha" in the '70s, was declared dead on arrival at the Parañaque Medical Hospital, said her granddaughter, Amor Quizon.

Quizon said Dely had been having colds and fever a few weeks before she died.

Quizon is the mother of actor-commercial model Boy 2 Quizon. Her husband, Boy, is a son of comedian Dolphy, the son-in-law that Dely loved to nag on "John en Marsha."

Dely had been living with Quizon since 2002 at Barangay BF Homes in Para¤aque, where Inquirer Entertainment interviewed the comedian in May 2003 ("The mother-in-law we loved to laugh at" May 9, 2003).

Quizon said the family had been prepared for Dely's death. She said her grandmother did not suffer any major complications, but "was already very tired."

In 1997, Dely was hospitalized for pneumonia. A year later, she was hospitalized again for high blood pressure and severe stomach ache. She was also diagnosed with gallstones, but doctors refused to operate because she was already 85 and might not fully recover from the operation.

Dely's remains now lie in state at the Holy Trinity Chapel on Sucat Road, Parañaque.