Maria "Becky" E. Eusebio Villano

Maria Rebecca Eusebio Villano, 74, of Las Vegas, NV, passed away peacefully on April 26, 2012. Rebecca was a retired physician. She was born in Manila, Philippines, to Godofredo Eusebio and Purificacion (Cenidoza) Eusebio. Although an oldest child, she was affectionately known as "Bebot" and "Baby". She attended Colegio del Buen Consejo High School in the Philippines and the medical school at the University of Santo Tomas where she graduated with the Class of 1961. Rebecca interned at St. John's Riverside Hospital in New York and took her Anesthesia training as a resident and then a clinical fellow and instructor at the Downstate-Kings County Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. After taking a hiatus to raise her four children, Rebecca returned to medicine as the Director of the Pain Clinic in the Department of Anesthesiology at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles. She was an active parent volunteer at Holy Trinity School. Following in her parents' footsteps, Rebecca was a dedicated to community service as a long time member and volunteer for the Assistance League in San Pedro. Rebecca was also the office manager for Perris Valley Medical Clinic and a seasonal tax associate for H&R Block. Rebecca is survived by her loving husband Generoso, two sons Michael and John, two daughters Maria and Theresa and twelve grandchildren. Maria Rebecca was preceded in death by her parents. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 10:30 a.m at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Mater Dei Chapel followed by a Memorial Service Mass at 11:30 in the same location; 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive, Las Vegas, NV. 89128. Arrangements are under the direction of Palm Cheyenne Mortuary, 7400 W. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV. 89129.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE PROGRAM

In Loving Memory of Maria Rebecca E. Villano

9 March 1938 - 26 April 2012

- WELCOME by Maria Villano, daughter

- EULOGY by Theresa Villano, daughter

- “Tears in Heaven” performed by Luke (age 8) and Evan (10) Villano, grand sons

- EULOGY by John Villano, son

- “Gratitude” performed by Izabella Sakoda (age 11), grand daughter

- EULOGY by Maria Villano, daughter

- ORIGINAL POEM "TRACES" AND COMPOSITION ON VIOLIN by Madelyn Villano (age 22), grand daughter

- EULOGY and "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Celeste Genilo, friend

WELCOME BY MARIA VILLANO, DAUGHTER

Good morning. My name is Maria Villano and I am the second of four children and the oldest daughter. On behalf of my father and our family, I would like to welcome you to this "Celebration of Life" in honor of Maria Rebecca Eusebio Villano.

I would also like to thank the many friends and family who have travelled from out of town to join us here today as well as acknowledge those who were unable to make it, but are offering their own prayers and masses in remembrance of my mother this weekend in their own corner of the world. Finally, I would like to express my deep and heartfelt appreciation to those who live here in Las Vegas, my parents’ closest friends, for supporting them especially over the past few months. Thank you for nourishing their bodies with food, their spirits with friendship and their souls with prayer.

Today we will be honoring Rebecca... Becky... Dr. Villano... Ate Baby... Bebot... Lola... Mom through stories, song and music.

Afterwards, the Memorial Service Mass will begin promptly at 11:30. Now, I'd like to bring my sister Theresa up to begin this Celebration of Life.



EULOGY BY THERESA VILLANO, DAUGHTER

Good Morning. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Theresa. I am the youngest of Rebecca’s four children.

I wanted to start by sharing a poem with you. I feel it wonderfully describes my mother.

Her love is like an island

In life’s ocean, vast and wide

A peaceful quiet shelter

From the wind and rain and tide

‘Tis bound on the north by hope

By patience on the west

By tender counsel on the south,

And on the east by rest

Above it like a beacon light

Shining Faith, and Truth and Prayer

And through the changing scenes of life

I find a haven there

When I reflect and think about my mother, I believe she has certainly always served as the peaceful quiet shelter and haven from the storms of life for me but, most of all, she is the beacon light referenced in the poem.

To a mariner, the lighthouse is a symbol of integrity, constancy, and aid. My mother embodies that symbol like no other could. She is my ever present beacon light — my lighthouse — constantly comforting me and guiding me in the right direction.

During each stage of my life (and for my brothers and sister too) she has been omnipresent, always there, teaching, supporting, and loving … but, most of all, guiding us through life to ensure our safe passage.

When I was a young child, she volunteered her time at my school to serve milk and ice cream at lunchtime, just so that she could see her children for a few minutes in the day and share a few loving words to guide us. Knowing that she’d be there was comforting. Seeing her there was the highlight of my day. And, as you can imagine, as a young child, milk and ice cream were my safe haven and essential aid.

When I played sports in high school, she would make the extra effort to leave work early just to see me play. I feel like I can still hear her cheering from the sidelines … supporting me, guiding me, making me feel loved and important. She often cheered so loudly for me that I felt like she was watching her favorite professional basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers. If you ever were present, when she watched her team play, you would understand. The cheerleader would come out like you could never image.

As a young adult and over the past two decades, she would always be there to give me advice about life. She was my constant source of faith, inspiration, support, and guidance. She was my rock and foundation. She was my quiet shelter and safe haven. She was my beacon light — my lighthouse — shining bright … constant and ever present … always there to comfort me and guide me in the right direction.

I know that my mother will never be far from me or my siblings. I know we still see her light and bask in the comfort of her love even right now.

We were blessed by my mother’s wonderful example to teach and pass on to others. As my siblings and I raise our own children (just as our mother taught us by her example) she lives on as a part of us. Her love and guiding light shine through us for our own children and the world to see … and serves as a lighthouse for future generations.

I thank you mom for being the wife, mother, and friend you were. You remain a lighthouse for all to see. I miss you very much and will always love you.

EULOGY BY JOHN VILLANO, SON

Hello my name is John Villano. I am Rebecca's third born child. It was easier to write this eulogy than to recite it..so bear with me this morning. My mom was a very special person and I miss her very much. I often joked that it was difficult to be Mom's favorite child. Of course, this was not true. It was actually very easy. Mom's relationship with the kids were all very different. For some she was a role model- a strong, smart, attractive confident woman. For me she was my lifelong cheerleader. With precocious older siblings and a younger sis, who is the baby of the family, it would be easy to be overlooked. But Mom didn't see it that way. She always encouraged me to do my best. Mind you this was not an easy task because unlike my other siblings I was the embodiment of the California laid back lifestyle. Nevertheless, Mom worried about me and spent extra time helping me with my school work. I remember during one Grade school Academic award presentation, my siblings' name would be called multiple times...math award, english award...drama award etc.. I got one award...the most improvement award...Yet when my name was called I can still remember Mom enthusiastically clapping and cheering me on. I think Mom was happier with me receiving my one award than the multiple ones my siblings received. Favoritism...you might ask yourself..Of course not... Mom just had a way of making you feel you were the favorite.

Mom was very supportive of me and she was a part of every significant event in my life. She attended my lengthy graduations, she joyfully celebrated my wedding and she welcomed and witnessed the birth of my three sons. One particular memory that I like to share was when I was fortunate enough to move back home and be able to spend time with Mom. After attending dental school in San Francisco, I was accepted into a residency program in my home town. Over the next four years, Mom and I found ourselves in a similar situation My father was often working out of town and my future wife, Rachelle was still attending school in San Francisco. During the week Mom was busy in Perris managing my Dad's practice and I was equally busy in my residency. But she would always come home to Palos Verdes for the weekend. Our weekends were priceless. We spent many nights having dinner and just talking. The topics were diverse but often times it would be about nothing at all. We just enjoyed each other company. There were many times when I would seek her advice especially with my anesthesia rotation. After many years of not practicing medicine, Mom would still know the right answers even to rudimentary questions. It was amazing to see her so delighted and engaged. I'm sure it brought back a lot of fond memories of when she was going through her own residency. However, at a deeper level, I believe that the underlying sentiment was that Mom was very proud of me. Laughingly, she revealed that at one time her only hope was for me to just finish high school.

After Rachelle graduated, she moved back to LA and joined us for our weekends. Mom and Rachelle would experiment with new recipes and soon developed creative Friday night pasta and pop overs dinners. Mom instantly bonded with Rachelle and welcomed her to the family with open arms. Rachelle was equally enamored and became close to Mom. Because of this, I felt that Mom no longer worried about me. I would be just fine. She was happy and comforted that I had found my soul mate.

Now that I am a parent I appreciate Mom even more. The love for your children is never ending. It requires self- less energy, tolerance, understanding and most importantly, patience. For me, these qualities are Mom's legacy. For this reason Mom will always be a part of me.

I love you, Mom.

EULOGY BY MARIA VILLANO, DAUGHTER

When I sat down to write this I had such a hard time. Looking through old photos for inspiration set off a flood of memories emotions. Yet, I couldn't recall a single story or conversation that captured the essence of what my mother meant to me.

So, rather than rack my brains trying to identify a single event, I decided to share a few memories of my mother that shaped how I feel about Mom.

I am in an auditorium in line for lunch. I see my mom at the table ahead I am beaming with pride and can hardly contain my smile. When I get to the front of the line, the choices are plain, cheese or goop. I don't need to say anything. My mom knows what I want. She hands me a cheese burger.

Now I am in the 3rd grade playground waiting to be picked up after school. My mom is late so I kill time by racing the boys up and down the playground. I am faster than most of them. My mom appears by the chain link fence at the playground’s entrance. She is wearing a pantsuit the color of sunflowers. She sees me. I see her. And yet, I yell at the top of my lungs "MOM!" so that others can see her. To my young eyes, she is not just tall, she is statuesque. She is not just beautiful, she is striking.

My siblings and I are sitting around a table. My mom goes from child to child helping each of us with our homework. She seamlessly transitions from math to spelling to reading to art. She is not just smart, she is brilliant.

We are in the kitchen cooking. Was it polvoron or bibingka (her favorite dessert)? She is talking about how girls can do anything that boys can do. She tells us about becoming a doctor when there were few women in medicine and "maternity leave" was non-existent. When she became pregnant, she didn't want any special treatment even though she was carrying an extra 30 pounds and waking up to morning sickness. She started her vacation when she went into labor and ended it 2 weeks later. She had four children in four years while she was a resident. After she became board-certified, she gave it up to be a full time mother while we were young.

I am a point guard and dribbling a basketball down the court. I am the captain, but not the star. To be honest my team is mediocre. From the bleachers, I hear her cheering with gusto. She is my biggest fan.

I leave home for college on the east coast. My parents drop me off in my freshman dorm and don't return till graduation four years later. I move to Chicago for work and then graduate school. I live there for nine years. My parents visit me once ... when I graduate from business school. I learn the value of letting go and joy of independence.

I am in an operating room in Tokyo delivering my first child, Izabella. My mother is there to comfort me, give me strength and usher me into this new stage of life called motherhood. This scene is repeated two more times with the births of my other daughters Rebecca and Gabriella. Even though I live on the other side of the world, she returns to me when I need her.

As a child, I adored my mother and wanted to be just like her. Now as an adult, a wife and a mother, I still aspire to be more like her, but I have a greater appreciation of who she was and the choices she made:

- how difficult it must have been to be training to be a doctor and new mother at the same time;

- the magnitude of her decision to put her profession on hold to be a full time mom;

- the courage to return to work after such a long hiatus;

- the ability to look at every problem -- big or small, electrical, mechanical, financial, emotional -- as a challenge and an opportunity to learn rather than ignoring, accepting or being dismayed by it;

- the depth of her devotion to family and

- the strength of her loyalty to her husband of 50 years

Her death was neither unexpected or sudden. She had been battling cancer for three years and survived so many milestones through the process... Christmas, her 50th anniversary, her 74th birthday. Almost two months have passed since I saw her take her last breath and yet, I still can't believe she is gone. Perhaps it's because the strength of her character continues touch so many of us... because her legacy lives on within our family.

Mom - I miss you. I love you ... to infinity and beyond!

EULOGY BY MICHAEL VILLANO, SON

We are gathered here, family and friends of Maria Rebecca Eusebio Villano, to commemorate her life. First, I want to thank you for being here today and joining us in celebrating Rebecca. I also wish to acknowledge my sister, Maria, for her diligence in organizing this memorial on our family’s behalf.

Maria, thank you.

My parents came of age in the Philippines. It was at the Medical school that they met and their romance blossomed. She was a truly beautiful, vivacious, and intelligent young woman who attracted the

affection and admiration of her peers . My father was the quiet, reserved type. And she chose my father. While you might say that her choice says much about my dad, I believe it says even more about her. Rebecca possessed a depth of feeling and a sureness of character that led her to know, even then, that she needed to find a similarly-equipped person—perhaps we can even say soul mate—with which to share her life, her love. And that depth and sureness allowed her to recognize that individual in the person of my father. Their similarities, combined with a few notable differences, kindled an attraction that led to a 50-year marriage marked by an abiding love and an enduring respect. My father’s quiet reserve and steadiness of purpose underlie an unerring resolve to do right by his family, and by the woman he married—and over fifty years ago my mother recognized this in him immediately.

I guess one could say that my Dad got lucky when he married Mom, and that in turn we, their kids, were lucky too. But the point I am making is that my mother fell in love with my father because she knew, even then, very early in life, who she was and who my father was and that together they could raise the family and live the life that would be most valued by her, most cherished by them both: the life of love and family.

I think my mother would say that her greatest accomplishment was us kids. Certainly she accomplished much more: she earned a medical degree and for a time pursued a career in medicine, she was a savvy business manager who expertly steered my father’s medical practice, and she was a dedicated volunteer for and contributor to charities both inside the Church and out. But as her son, I am most familiar with her as a mother and the many ways she encouraged us. She was our confidante, our mentor, and our teacher And it is not a boast for me to say that we are her greatest accomplishments, for I and my siblings

are parents ourselves, and if asked I think each of us would agree with her sentiment—that the best we can offer this world are people raised through love that we experienced my mom. We trust that our kids in turn will carry forth love through their own circles of family, of friends—even extend their love to a stranger in need of it. In short, they will carry on in the manner of my mother. I believe that my mother’s character, her Soul, set in motion a wave of love that continues in us, her children.

In love, my mother lives on. I love you, Mom

Before I close I would like to direct a few words to my father. Dad, you have displayed over the course of these three, difficult years the very resolve and steadfastness that Mom saw in you so clearly many years ago. You have set before us an example on the meaning of the words “to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.”

We thank you. We love you.

ORIGINAL POEM BY MADELYN VILLANO, GRAND DAUGHTER

Lola’s Trace is...

Colored fish through clear water.

Patterned wallpaper. The shoreline.

Sunlit Patios.

Dried leaves and ants shaded by the pool.

A house of still familiarity - filled with artifacts.

An olfactory memory of mangos, rice, and lingering spices.

They said of her- Strength, Beauty, Brains.

She said to me (as she held my cheeks in her hands) “I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon” when we said goodbye.

Her laugh and the flaking tiles- blue and warm- were always my sanctuary after grueling travels.

Everything that has followed her.

Everything that has flowed from her being here.

Generosity, kindness, family, and love.



EULOGY BY CELESTE GENILO, FRIEND

BECKY............

WHAT A JOY TO HAVE KNOWN YOU.......

A PERSON WHO IS SIMPLE AND CHILDLIKE....

KIND, COMPASSIONATE , ENDURING..... OPTIMISTIC........HOPEFUL.......

LOVING TO HER FAMILY......

THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU !!!!

WHAT A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO HAVE MET YOUR FAMILY ......

EACH ONE OF THEM REFLECTED YOUR LOVE AND YOUR GOODNESS .

WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO MEET SUCH A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY.......

AND WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO FEEL THE LOVE OF GENE FOR YOU.

WE THANK GOD WITH GRATITUDE........FOR THE LESSONS YOU HAVE TAUGHT US

THROUGH YOUR EXAMPLE..........ESPECIALLY YOUR TRUST IN GOD AS YOU SUFFERED.

I WILL NOW PLAY THE PIANO FOR YOU.......AS I KNOW YOU LOVE MUSIC.

"WIND BENEATH YOUR WINGS".

THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING OUR LIVES.