Dr. Elena Ronquillo Buenviaje was born in 1938 in Pampanga, Philippines to Maria Victoria (Ima) and Vevencio Ronquillo and immigrated to the United States in 1971. She graduated cum laude in 1962 from the University of St. Tomas in the Philippines and as a consistent scholar in all her college years, ranked the third of her class. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia with clinical fellowships in nephrology and cardiology. Dr. Elena Buenviaje was a Board-Certified Internist who had a private practice in Internal Medicine specializing in Geriatric Medicine in Whiting, New Jersey for forty years. With Dr. Donald Caruso, she was the co-founder of Village Medical Group in Whiting, NJ which is now the Whiting Medical Associates in which she was a member. Dr. Elena Buenviaje was also a member of the Community Medical Center Board of Trustees for eight years. She was the first female Internist to practice at Community Medical Center joining its staff in 1976 and paving the way for female physicians to gain hospital privileges. She was honored at the spring Gala of the Filipino American Community Development Center (FCDC) in 2012 for her accomplishments and achievements and her untiring efforts to make Ocean County a diversified and ideal place to live and work.

Dr. Elena Buenviaje’s inspiring efforts to raise awareness in helping groups and organizations led to FAMS’ major financial contribution in building the Filipino American Community Development Center (FCDC). She served as a board member of the Filipino-American Medical Society of Toms River (FAMS) and was the Chairman of the Bi-annual Fundraising Gala for eleven years which aims to raise funds and provide support for United Way, Caregivers of Ocean County, victims of natural disasters, scholarships of deserving students in Ocean County, building communities for the homeless, education for orphaned, abandoned youth and street children in the Philippines. On January 25, 2014, she was honored by the Community Medical Center with the Physicians of Distinction Award. Dr. Elena Buenviaje was appointed as the Honoree of the Year by FAMS through the township’s Mayor of Toms River Proclamation.

Dr. Elena Buenviaje peacefully passed in her home on January 3, 2026. She is survived by her beloved husband, Mr. Tony Buenviaje, daughters Carmelen Buenviaje and Marivi Buenviaje, blessed with six grandchildren, Elijah, Hannah, Elea, Mikah, Max, and DagHeru, and cousin, Maria Miranda.

To honor her legacy and lifelong commitment to education, the family invites tax-deductible donations to be made for the FAMS Elena R. Buenviaje Educational Scholarship in lieu of flowers.

A memorial gathering will take place on Friday, January 9, 2026 from 4:30 - 7:30 pm at Kedz Funeral Home, 1123 Hooper Avenue, Toms River. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 9:00 am at St. Luke's Roman Catholic Church, 1674 Old Freehold Road, Toms River.

To honor her legacy and lifelong commitment to education, the family invites tax-deductible donations to be made for the FAMS Elena R. Buenviaje Educational Scholarship in lieu of flowers. Kindly make your donation payable to FAMS, including a memo: ‘Dr. Elena Buenviaje Scholarship Fund’ and mail to: FAMS, PO Box 4734, Toms River, NJ 08754.