Dr. John Lazarus Sunday

He was born Juanito Lazaro Domingo to parents Ambrosio and Honorata. His father was an elementary school principal and his mother a businesswoman. He grew up with six sisters Lourdes, Lily, Paz, Romula, Cristina, and Nida, and one brother, Virgilio.

He attended Cuyapo Central Primary School and graduated in March 1940. Due to the Second World War, he was delayed in restarting high school for five years. He resumed schooling in 1945 and attended three different high schools in Manila his freshman year. He finally ended up at Far Eastern University High School where he first took interest in his life-long love of the sport of boxing; He was an athletic scholar. His mother did not approve of the sport, reminding him that when he was a child she would not even let a fly hover over him, much less land on him. He graduated from Far Eastern University High in 1948.

In June 1950, he began attending medical school at Manila Central University where he also continued boxing. He graduated and earned his medical degree in April 1957.

He arrived to the United States in 1957 and that September he began a medical internship doing general rotations at Yonkers General Hospital in New York. He continued to other hospitals as a resident of Pathology at Grasslands Hospital in Valhalla, New York, to Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, and to Bronx Municipal Hospital. He continued working as a hospital physician to earn money to support his growing family.

He married his first wife, Pacita, in the early 1960s and together they had five children: John II, Genevieve, Wendy and twins, Etta and Ambrose. All five children were born in New York and spent their early childhood there until he moved his family to Linesville, Pennsylvania. On October 17, 1975, Juanito Lazaro Domingo became a naturalized U.S. citizen and legally changed his name to John Lazarus Sunday.

In March 1976, John entered the U.S. Air Force and was a Lieutenant Colonel serving as a general duty physician stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. After 3 years, he took assignment at March Air Force Base in Riverside, CA.

While stationed in the Philippines, he met his second wife, Marilou. She was also from his hometown of Cuyapo. In 1982, they moved to Calexico, CA and they had three children: Christine, Catherine, and J.L.

In the Imperial Valley, his primary occupation was a General Family Practitioner. He was a professional member of the California Medical Association, the San Diego Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He was employed by Clinicas de Salud and practiced medicine at the Calexico and Brawley locations for nearly 20 years. He continued to serve his community as a physician at De Anza Urgent Care, and at Open System Imaging; working well into his early 80s.

John was humble, quiet and observant in his ways. He was an amazing, loving, and caring father who ensured his children had all the good things in life. He was a good lover and husband, but not perfect. He was generous to his friends and to those he liked. He had an attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was meticulous and carefully disciplined, in everything he undertook. Keeping fit was important to him; so he was mindful of ensuring lots of fruits and vegetables in his diet and including regular exercise to balance his love of delicious food and drink: steaks, seafood, ice cream, cognac and wine. He ran 3 to 5 miles every other day along the All-American canal near the American-Mexican border in 90 degree plus weather. He was happy and comfortable to be in his very short shorts with no shirt or wearing his favorite New Balance running shoes with his fanny pack, but if there was a formal occasion he had no hesitations of looking his best with suit and tie, or his favorite, the bowtie. He always had his magnifying glass nearby ready to read the daily newspaper; the comics section was his favorite. He loved going back home to the Philippines to visit family and friends. He enjoyed shopping abroad and, of course, Price Club/Costco was a special place to him. If there was a boxing match or tennis open, he'd be sitting right in front of the television with perfect posture intently watching. He loved guns and going target-shooting with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Marilou Caparas Sunday; his sons, John Lazarus Sunday II, Ambrose Timothy Sunday and John Lazarus Sunday IV (J.L.); his daughters, Genevieve Sunday Kistler, Wendy Lou Miller, Honorata Etta Sunday, Christine May Sunday and Catherine Emily Sunday; his six grandchildren, Conrad, Sophia, Kaia, Myles, J.T. and Cecilia.

Visitation was held at El Camino Memorial in Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA Wednesday, December 29, 2021 4:00-6:00 PM (2:00-4:00PM privately reserved for immediate family; livestream available through obituary page by clicking "Join Livestream"; Zoom meeting link provided below). Interment of Ashes ceremony will be held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery-Commital Shelter, San Diego, CA Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 10:30 AM.

Topic: John Sunday Services

Time: Dec 29, 2021 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

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Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sorrentovalleychapel.com for the Sunday family.