Maria Manalo John

Our dear mother, grandmother, and great grandmother Maria Manalo John sadly passed away peacefully at her home in Brentwood, California of natural causes on Monday, September 18, 2023, at the age of 90.

She was a wonderful mother and grandmother who was always there when her family needed her. She also had many friends and was a well-loved member of the community in Brentwood and throughout the Bay Area. She is survived by her loving Husband of 64 years James V. John, daughter Charlene Bennett and her husband Larry Bennett, her son David John and his wife Gayle John; grandchildren Michael Goodness, Jessica Goodness, Madyson Lawlor and her husband David Lawlor, and Drayton John and his wife Brianne John; great grandchildren Presley Goodness and Allira Goodness; and many extended family in the Philippines and Oklahoma. She was assisted in her later years by loving caregivers including Alice and Joe, and Tess and Francis.

The exact date of Grandma Maria’s birth is unknown as the Japanese military burned down the building containing her birth records in the Philippines. However, it is believed that she was born July 26, 1933 in Batangas, Philippines.

As a young woman she was a beauty pageant contestant and was awarded Miss Visayas in recognition of her grace, beauty, and charm. She was riding on the back of an open car in a celebratory parade in Olongapo in the late 1950s where a young Navy sailor from Oklahoma was in the crowd watching the parade with his fellow sailors.

Upon seeing Miss Visayas wave to the crowd during the parade, this Oklahoma sailor became immediately smitten, felt butterflies fluttering in his heart, and stood in awe of Maria’s exquisite beauty. He turned to his fellow sailors and boldly told them “I’m going to find that girl and marry her!” While his fellow sailors might have chuckled at his lofty declaration, they did not know that this was a moment of true fate.

A determined man, the Oklahoma sailor hustled his way to the end of the parade route and breathlessly managed to introduce himself to the beauty queen from Visayas. He

was charming. He was debonair. And he was kind. Plus, who can possibly reject a young, hunky man in uniform?

This chance meeting would lead to a life long love story, a beautiful family, and a happy life for Maria and the Oklahoma sailor named James Vernon John. After getting to know each other a little better over time and eventually falling in love, James finally mustered up the courage to drop to a bended knee and propose marriage to his beloved. She accepted his hand in marriage and said yes! James Vernon John and Maria Manalo John were married on November 4, 1959.

The happy couple arrived on the West Coast in the early 1960s to begin making their home in California. Maria did not know how to cook when she arrived in the States, which was an important skill to learn in order to keep the belly full of an Oklahoma boy whose tastes favored classic dishes including fried catfish, hushpuppies, and meat and potatoes. She soon learned how to cook both American and Filipino food. James had his cherished pot roast and potatoes to keep him satisfied, while the rest of the family had tasty lumpia, pancit, and chicken adobo when dinner time came.

Maria, her husband, and their two small children Charlene and David lived up and down California, before James John was stationed in Japan courtesy of the U.S. Navy. The family lived in Japan for four years. Grandma described those four years as some of the happiest of her life. Why? Well, there was the natural beauty of Japan, the interesting culture to get accustomed to, and the adventure of living in a new country. But, most of all, as Grandma would often tell us in her later years, while living in Japan she had a maid at her house!

Maria and her family returned to California, settling in Union City and Fremont for many years, before relocating to Brentwood later in life to be closer to her loving family. While raising her children, Maria worked at the North Face where she sewed sleeping bags for a new outdoor gear company that would eventually become a global brand. She also worked for an electronics firm in Sunnyvale. And, she eventually found her passion and calling when in her later years she worked for Cache Creek Casino operating bingo bus trips for senior citizens in the Bay Area. She transitioned from being a beauty queen to being a bingo queen, becoming well-known and well-loved by her friends that she transported to the casino to play bingo and party grandma style. When her granddaughter Madyson turned 18, Maria insisted she join her for a bingo trip to celebrate her 18th birthday. Madyson recalls struggling to keep up with marking her single bingo card, while at the same time Grandma Maria was daubing eight different bingo cards at once like some sort of bingo superwoman.

When she retired from the bingo professional leagues, she enjoyed spending time with her family and watching her grandchildren grow up, get married, get jobs, and start their adult lives. She was thrilled to meet her greatgrandchildren Presley and Allira, and to see her family and her legacy grow over time. In her later years when she was dutifully cared for by her daughter Charlene, Charlene’s husband Larry, her grandchildren Michael, Madyson, Jessica, and Drayton, her caregivers Tess and Francis, and finally caregivers Alice and Joe. Her family and her caregivers were very dedicated to Maria and did everything they possibly could to keep her healthy, happy, and comfortable.

Maria loved being beautiful—something that came easy to her. She was typically adorned in glimmering gold jewelry around her wrists and neck, in her ears, and on her fingers. She appreciated the finer things in life. Once, while visiting her granddaughter Madyson in Oregon, the first stop Grandma wanted to make in Portland’s shopping mall was the Louis Vuitton store. There is no sales tax in Oregon and Grandma decided that she needed a new hand bag! Given her inherent beauty and her golden bling collection, only a Louis bag could possibly fit the bill. Grandma returned home from Oregon impressively blinged out, sporting her golden accessories, and stashing her hard coffee candies in her fancy new Louis bag.

Without a doubt, she lived a full life with a loving family, a great collection of friends, and a passion for fun, excitement, and the beautiful things that make life more pleasurable. She was dedicated to serving her family, her friends, and her community. She returned to visit her extended family in the Philippines many times and would often send gifts and resources back to her family whenever she could. To know her was a pleasure and an honor. Faithful wife, loving mother, and dedicated friend. Mahal kita Maria Manalo John! May you rest in peace.

An additional note…

In the 1970s, the Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postman recorded several traditional folk poems that were recited by the people of the Philippines and compiled them into a book. One of the traditional Filipino poems he recorded addresses the time of death.

On Death, a traditional Filipino folk poem

Says the soul remembering:

Just a while ago at home,

in the house I used to stay,

My body was really bad,

lying sickly on the mat,

though not ready yet to go.

Scared to death I really was!

I was going to the right

and to left, back and forth!

So confused I was at that time!

Now, my body laid at rest,

finally I took a bath

in the waters for the soul.

I am starting on my way

to the place my father went,

and where mother joined him, too.