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Memories of Leah D. Borromeo (10/05/1936—12/08/2017)

Dear Nanay,

This is the first of many post-humous letters to you. Some will be long, others as short as the time we all think we had with you.

There’s a Chinese saying about one’s mother that goes “for her, I can give enough.”

You did well, Nay. You leave behind Eduardo, our father – who art in Chicago, and us: Yvonne in Manila, Ianne in Toronto, Vincent in Chicago and your namesake Leah, in London. We have families, too – some of whom will never get to know your depth of humor, conviction and contradiction in person. We’ll keep those memories alive through our inherited quirks and the lessons we hand down.

People are never what they seem, you taught us. As a long-time educator with a history in chemistry, you turned down a Fulbright scholarship to start a family. You also cleaned people’s houses and sold your beautiful jewelry so we could survive. You took the decision to split the family in half leaving the three eldest in Manila and taking the youngest to America so we could survive. You put your job and your life on the line in the Marcos era so we could survive. You were always in survival mode and you instilled that same default in us. These are things we learn as we age. A true alpha-woman, ‘maternal’ wasn’t a word often associated with you. As an accomplished gardener who sang amateur opera and who loved music, literature, politics, history and art, ‘nurturing’ is a better word. You didn’t suffer fools gladly and you taught us the tactical and moral value in calling out injustice when we saw it.

We all remember times we came home bruised after standing up to bullies. You didn’t bat an eyelid. You sacrificed to send us to the best schools where learning was never a chore. You knew you were flawed, so you rigged the game so your children would be better versions of yourself.

A true teacher, you taught us to teach and learn from ourselves. For those skills and passions you nurtured in us, thank you. Thank you for all the things you will teach us as we swim through our lives in your wake. Thank you for all the praise and all the reproach.

Thank you for the lives you’ve touched directly and through us. We can never give you enough, but we can give you thanks. We love you, Nay. — Bebon, Yayan, Enting & Nene

Leah D. Borromeo, 82, of Chicago, Illinois, died December 08, 2017 at the Holy Cross Hospital. She was born on October 5, 1936, to Ponciano Delfin and Rosario Dais in Pontevedra, Capiz, Philippines.

Leah attended the Central Philippine University and graduated Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude in 1957. Upon graduation, she was given the 1957 Alton Bigelow Memorial Award Alma Mater Prize for leadership, academic excellence and Christian living. Awarded a 3-year post graduate scholarship grant, she gained a Master of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary, Philippines and was an ordained minister of the Gospel. In the United States, she undertook a Certificate of Advanced Study from Washington State University in 1976. She was a scholar of the National Science Foundation of the University of Hawaii in 1978. She was also certified as a teacher by the Illinois State Teacher Certification Board. Leah married Eduardo J. Borromeo on February 05, 1965, and they have 4 children, and 4 grandchildren.

She worked as a Social Sciences teacher at the International School in the Philippines for 20 years. In the US, she was Manager at the Law Division for Cook County, Illinois until her retirement. As liaison for the Filipino Community during the tenure of Aurelia Pucinski as Clerk of Cook County, she was an awardee during the First Annual Americas Fil-Am Heritage Award for her contribution in helping Filipinos gain employment. Leah was an avid plant lover, educator and activist.

Leah is survived by her husband, Eduardo, twin daughters Yvonne and Ianne, son Lyle Vincent and youngest daughter Leah II, brother (Rev. Jacob Delfin), sons-in-law (Peter Mutuc and Peter Clemente), grandchildren (Daniella and Martin Mutuc; Juliane and Andre Clemente), nephews, nieces, and grand nephews and nieces, and relatives and friends.

Visitation/viewing was held on Saturday, December 16, 2017 from 1-9 pm at Wolniak Funeral Home, 5700 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago IL.

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