Dear friends and family,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my mother, Maria Lourdes Maglupay, at the age of 68. After a courageous and rapid battle with aggressive cancer, she is finally at peace.
My name is Deladrian Chua, second eldest of 4 to my mom who just passed away from an aggressive cancer. I currently serve in the California Army National Guard with over 22 years of service combined with US Navy service, which through my dad and mom's influence, made me decide to join the military as my dad served 30 years in the US Navy and my mom contributed over 35 years of federal civil service.
Both my dad and mom immigrated from the Philippines and became US Citizens through my dad's naval service. We were blessed and had the opportunity to travel the world. While my dad was on deployments, my mom was always there to care for us, teach us, and make sure we knew how much we were loved.
My mom was the heart of our family. Although she could be very strict and at times reprimand us because of kids being kids, we knew it was out of love and not spite. My mom loved to travel; one of her favorite places to visit was Japan and South Korea. She always enjoyed buying things and collecting bags; there are still a bunch in her closet that are in their original packaging.
My mom also enjoyed cooking food for her family and friends. She was very giving and did not hesitate to help others when they needed it. She would always be the first one up just to make food for everyone and always experimenting on us, but it usually turned out good. She would have given a run for their money as a contestant in a cooking show like MasterChef.
What she loved most though, was us, her kids, and her grandkids. She had an infectious laugh that once you start, you can't stop. She always worked hard, harder than most at her job. She dedicated practically all her adult life to federal service and a lot to being a US Navy spouse when my parents were together. Oftentimes, she would take on multiple jobs as a single mother to ensure that we were taken care of, and she put our needs first.
Even though she had only 68 years on this earth, her final years after being diagnosed, she made the best of it by being with us. I only wish that I could have seen her smile one more time before she walked through the heavenly gates.
While my mother’s wish was to be cremated, our family would like to hold a formal viewing to give everyone who loved her a chance to say their final goodbyes. Because she needs to be transported to a specific location for this service, the costs have become higher than we anticipated.
We are reaching out to our community or anyone just willing to listen for help in covering the expenses for:
Transportation to the viewing facility.
Preparation and professional services for the viewing.
Facility rental for the memorial.
Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward giving her the dignified farewell she deserves. If you are unable to donate, sharing this page would mean the world to us.
On behalf of my siblings, Ate Louann (eldest daughter), myself Deladrian, Sarabeth (middle daughter), and Andrew (baby brother), thank you for listening to our story.