She was born during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines to Eusebio & Alejandra Quiambao. Fiercely an independent woman and a mother of seven children, she took on several roles throughout her life to support them. She was a self-taught business woman who owned and operated a Board & Care Home for the elderly. She did not seem to mind being woken up at 2 a.m.; which happened often by one of her residents who got lost after using the bathroom. She also owned and operated a “Home for the Indigent” on Clark Street whom she cared fearlessly for people with mental illness & substance abuse. The latter proved to be the most challenging in her career, but remained steadfast.
She was a Filipino translator for Fresno County, a successful therapeutic massage therapist specializing in reiki, and what could be her most cherished professional achievement: fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse at 64 years old. She was a Wound Care Nurse at Golden Cross Nursing home when she suffered a devastating stroke in 2010. Being of service to people is what fed her spirit.
Mom was an excellent gardener of fava beans and green grapes that she would add to her fish sour soup. She loved food. She loved to cook and always shared it. For her, food in its deepest sense signified love. She picked garlic , pistachios & persimmons; she dug for clams filling up her bathtub.
She led a lifetime of frugality. She would wake up at 5 a.m. to be the first one to get to an estate sale. She scoured these sales for anything and everything from kitchenwares to party dresses. The garage was full of junk, but for one granddaughter, her house was a trove of treasure. She would hire a contractor who could not hammer a nail despite our protests & feed them her delicious Kari kari.
She loved books, all lying on her couch or on the floor. Never a wallflower, she was the first on the dance floor with her favorite partner, her late older brother Frank.
But it was her deep faith in God that stands out in our memory. Having lived in a nursing home for 13 years, despite the sheer loneliness of that experience particularly during the pandemic; to live with the indignities of a massive stroke - her faith carried her through. Whenever one led a prayer with her, she would readily bow her head and praise Him. God was worthy of it all.
Immeasurably generous to her children, we were not turned down, she would find a way to help us; be it a ton of homemade hopia for a party, a loan, a down payment for a first-time home, a pair of earrings because you look bare, a bowl of piping hot sinigang because you just traveled 3 hrs to see her, or even passing away on a day when most of us were huddled together. Thank you Mom.
She is predeceased by her husband, Ben Desumala Sr.), her brothers, Frank (and his wife Flor), Greg and brother-in-law, Mar Realina . Left behind still are her sisters in law, Fely, Yvette, Irma, Ida & Anet. Survived by her children, Joy (Randy), Mercy (Tony), Ginny (Noel), Gladys, Clarissa, Elizabeth & Ben Jr. Left with fond memories are her grandchildren: Junelle, Randall, Bryan, Emma, Noah, Gabrielle, Grace, Claire, Rebekah, Isabelle, Lanah & Tristan. Numerous nieces and nephews and friends.
We are grateful to the staff of the Pacific Gardens & Nursing Rehab who cared for our mom. Special thanks to Juliet ,Emilie , Marissa, Maggie & Yesenia, Marcy, Arrieta, Jaspal & Melissa. Thank you to Bristol Hospice Nurses, Intha, Cecelia, Hailey & Chaplain Steven.
Thank you all for your support.
A visitation for Magdalena will be held Monday, December 11, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Whitehurst Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home, 836 E. Nees Ave., Fresno, CA 93720. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM, 836 E. Nees Ave., Fresno, CA 93720. Burial to follow the funeral service at St Peter's Cemetery, 264 N Blythe Ave, Fresno, CA 93706.
