Tributes

Luisa Francisco Macasieb was born February 27, 1928 in Tacloban City, Philippines to Vicente Macasieb of Lingayen, Pangasinan, and Catalina Francisco of Zamboanga City. She grew up in Lingayen. As she was accelerated to higher grades, she was 13 and was in third year high school at the outbreak of World War II in 1941. Since the schools closed, she helped in the family business while taking piano lessons. In January 1945, the American forces, in their final push to defeat the Japanese, bombarded Lingayen before landing. The American medics set up makeshift hospitals to take care of the wounded civilians. Luisa was one of the first volunteer paramedics. She was assigned to a ward where Mariano de la Cruz Verzosa, a volunteer nurse, a graduate from the University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital (PGH) School of Nursing, was assigned. Mariano, 23, fell in love with Luisa as they met serving the sick, the needy, the wounded and the dying. Later that year, Luisa pursued her education and enrolled in St. Theresa’s College in Manila to complete her high school education. She took formal graded piano lessons. Mariano continued to pursue her. The following year, 1946, Luisa, received a scholarship and enrolled at the University of the Philippines, Conservatory of Music, Major in Piano. She also cross-enrolled at Philippine Normal College. Mariano persistently continued to pursue her. Mariano, then, was working as operating room nurse at PGH and as one of the nursing instructors. In the evenings, he went to law school. In 1950, Luisa was appointed classroom teacher at Legarda Elementary School. Mariano, in the meantime, graduated from law school and passed the bar the following year, setting their careers in motion. On March 25, 1951, Sunday, feast of the Annunciation, Mariano, 29, and Luisa, 23, exchanged marriage vows at Remedios Catholic Church in Malate, Manila. In the same year, 1951, Luisa and Mariano bought a house in Quezon City where they planned to raise their family. Luisa and Mariano have 10 children, 29 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren: 1. Titus (wife Marla, children Christine [husband Rusty, son Ryu], Kathy [husband James], Trisha, Dustin and Kayla). 2. Mary Ann (husband Eric, deceased, children Aimee [children Gaby and Robin], Lech [wife Sunshine, children Samantha and Claire], Vanessa [husband Garrett, daughter Artemis], Erica and Yvette). 3. Leo, deceased (wife Lumen, children Sheela [husband Roland], Rizha [husband Harold, daughter Kristen]). 4. Paul (wife Christine, children, Jann Paolo and Justin). 5.Mariano, Jr. (wife Sandra, children Ma. Andrea (children Yanna, Ally and Bobi), Angelica, Luis and Ma. Cresencia). 6.Ma. Luisa (husband Moke, children Joseph and Rachel). 7. Emmanuel. 8. Ma. Victoria (husband Gerric, children J. Michael [wife Alexa, daughter Mindy], Carla [husband Edrian, daughter Kendra], Jay [wife Carmina, son Tyler], Jessica, Clarissa, Jasmine, Carmina and Cassandra) 9. Patrick, deceased. 10. John (wife Grace). Luisa and Mariano ensured that all their children receive a Catholic primary education and a good college education. By 1957, six years into their marriage, Luisa and Mariano had 5 children and were very much settled in Quezon City. However, after Mariano helped successfully ran the campaign of his good friend Aguedo F. Agbayani who first ran for representative in the first congressional district of Pangasinan, Luisa and Mariano eventually moved their family to Lingayen where Mariano headed the Lingayen office of the newly elected representative. In 1964 Mariano was elected Vice-Mayor of Lingayen and in 1968 elected Mayor. With his background in healthcare, he adopted public health as one of his top programs. Luisa assumed an active role in the community on top of raising 10 growing children. She became the president of the volunteer operated Puericulture Center, offering pre-natal and post-natal care to both babies and mothers. The love of Luisa and Mariano for each other, their love for their 10 children and their love for the people of Lingayen were seamless. They became parents to needy children, and a sister and a brother to many. With their compassionate hearts, unconditionally serving others was a fulfillment of their calling; it was a completion of a journey that started when they first met as volunteers, caring for the sick, the needy, the wounded and the dying in a makeshift hospital in 1945. After Mariano got sick in 1979, Luisa concentrated in taking care of him. After Mariano passed in 1989, Luisa continued to volunteer her time to various church organizations and activities in Lingayen such as Catholic Women's League, Third Order of Preachers, Prison Apostolate, Neocathechumenical Way, Mayflower Celebration, Lingayen Catholic Cemeteries, Kapihan Sa Kumbento and Parish Renewal. When in Fresno, she volunteered her time to the Fruit of the Vine Choir. Since 1990 she traveled to visit her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in the United States and in the Philippines and joined pilgrimages to the Holy Land, the Vatican, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and other religious destinations. Luisa, by God’s Divine Mercy, passed peacefully at 3 pm on December 1, 2018. Her life long wish to be reunited with her beloved Mariano and to enjoy the full presence of her Creator is now fulfilled. The loving family of Luisa is humbly requesting the pious reader to pray for the repose of her soul. May the choirs of angels come to greet Luisa and speed her to paradise May she rest in peace.

Tributes

Luisa Macasieb Verzosa

February 27, 1928 - December 1, 2018