Pilar Nono De Las Peñas

Pilar Nono De Las Peñas 
14 October 1931 - 10 September 2012

Eulogy For Mama

Mama was the glue that held us together from our beginnings in Jolo, through Papa’s illness, and even when Larry and I moved away from home. I hope she never thought that we abandoned her in the last few years because even though we were not with her physically, she was always present in our hearts.

Mother Butler friends, family friends, and relatives, you have all been appreciated because she was able to maintain a social life especially after she started living alone. Yet she was never alone because of you. You had become part of her family.

Even though she had been ailing, she didn’t want to burden us. After all this time, she was still concerned of her children’s well being sometimes to the detriment of hers. A mother’s sacrifice for her children never ends.

My mother was a very astute bargainer. I used to not like going shopping with her because she would haggle with salespeople until she more or less got the price she wanted for an item. It’s a quality of hers that I admired a lot in later years and thereby fostered my thrift. God knows how thrifty she was. Most of you probably know that.

Mama was a very good cook when she was still able to do it. To this day, people still mention her pumpkin pie and chicken salad.

Mama used to dress Larry and I alike for church when we were kids. I’m sure all of you who have seen us in Jolo noticed that. I don’t remember when that stopped. Maybe when I got to high school? We are 5 years apart and dressed like twins. I never wondered why she did that or complained about it. It was something we just accepted. It makes for a good memory now.

It’s hard to imagine losing both parents. Even today, I still dream about Papa and I expect the same about Mama for the extended future. Only, I will dream of them when they were younger and in their prime.

There comes a point in our existence that if by the grace of God we are fortunate enough to get there with sound mind, we have to make end of life decisions for ourselves. My mother made hers. She made her peace with the Lord for awhile already. and now she is with HIM, with Papa and all the friends and family that went before us.

Finally, Larry's soulmate Ninette wanted  to contribute that what she admired most about Mama was her simplicity, strength of character, tenacity for survival, inner happiness, and contentment.

Thank you, everyone, for being present in Mama's life.