Evangeline Antonio

      When Evangeline Antonio walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Evangeline was and how she impacted those around her. Evangeline was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Evangeline wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Evangeline was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.      Evangeline was born on March 26, 1930 at home in Leyte Carigara, Philippines. She was the daughter of Florentino S. Majam and Eugenia E. Toribio. Evangeline was raised in Masbate, Philippines. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Evangeline might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Evangeline was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.      Evangeline was raised with five siblings. She had two brothers and three sisters: Samuel, Sumilang, Banaag, Liwayway and Eliseo. Evangeline was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Evangeline was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Evangeline well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.      As a young girl, Evangeline was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Evangeline was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Evangeline took part in volleyball. In her spare time she liked crossword puzzles. Evangeline's memorable achievements included being Church Youth President. Evangeline had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Evangeline was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Evangeline was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. Evangeline was friends with everyone she met.      Evangeline married Claro B. Antonio. Evangeline's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Claro's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Evangeline was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.      Evangeline was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Evangeline, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Antonio home. Evangeline's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Evangeline was blessed with three children: Ariel, Ermalynn and Ahmie. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Jermaine, Amline, Jeyzerle, Aivren and Genelle, and one great grandchild.      Evangeline was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was homemaker. Evangeline was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Evangeline had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Evangeline's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.      Because Evangeline loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuit was doing crossword puzzles. Evangeline had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Evangeline's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.      Evangeline derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included bowling. Evangeline was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list was baseball, especially the Braves.      Throughout her life, Evangeline was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Evangeline seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Evangeline usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Evangeline was an active member of the Christian Fellowship Club.      Evangeline was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of UCCP throughout her life. During that time, she was a Deaconess. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.      Evangeline's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Evangeline took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included the beaches in the Philippines.      Evangeline Antonio passed away on January 5, 2010 at Kindred Hospital in San Diego, California. Evangeline passed away of heart failure. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, great grandchild, one brother and one sister. Services were held at The Bonita Room. Evangeline was laid to rest in Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Evangeline. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Evangeline Antonio for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Evangeline was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.