Camila P. Cornelio

Camila P. Cornelio was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Camila was born on July 18, 1945 at home in the Philippines. Her parents were Bienvenido and Trinidad Cornelio. Camila was raised in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Cornelio household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Camila was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Camila was raised with four siblings. She had one brother, Tony, and three sisters, Zeny, Lydia and Bebe. Camila was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Camila and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Camila was always consistently loyal to her family.

As a young child, Camila was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Camila developed a variety of interests, though, and the things she enjoyed doing she did well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Camila took part in bowling and badminton. In her spare time she liked comic books. However, what Camila enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

While her teachers and even her friends generally thought of Camila as being a serious person, she managed to have a pretty good time in high school as she made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. She graduated from Divina Pastora College in 1962. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Filipino. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Sarmiento. Camila was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Camila always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Camila handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Camila was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete her class work. She seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down her classmates. Camila was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed her fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Camila well during her college experience. She earned her degree in Business Administration.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Camila was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Camila was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Camila to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of her best friends were Angie Sta Maria, Yoly and Melda. Later in life, she became friends with Susan Requina, Chay, Alene Mers, Badie, Jasmine and Lita.

Camila was a good person, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Camila was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Camila was blessed with three granchildren, Jenna Garcia, Addie and Angelo.

Camila greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Camila enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Camila was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was electronics. She was employed for Johnson & Johnson. Camila worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Camila liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Camila always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were electronics and singing. Camila was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Camila found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, she could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. She applauded those who won, and she enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find herself wrapped up in those details. In her college years, Camila continued to stay active by doing volunteer work. Recreational sports included kareoke. She would watch her favorite sporting events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list was basketball. She loved watching Magic Johnson.

Many organizations were grateful to have Camila as a member, since she always brought with her a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Camila was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that she was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. She always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Camila was a member of the Legionary. In college, Camila joined the YCPA. Throughout her later years, Camila was an active member of the Disabled American Veterans.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Camila was so active in her community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Camila preferred to base her decisions on first-hand experiences. Camila was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Camila was a Republican.

Camila was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church for 30 years. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Camila enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Camila appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Camila always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included trips to the Philippines.

Camila was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Camila’s favorites were her dogs. They were best friends for 10 years. Her family was rounded out by her tropical fish.

When Camila’s retirement finally arrived in 2005, she was well prepared. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. Her new life involved relocating to San Diego. In retirement, she found new pleasure in playing Bingo and going to the casinos. Even in retirement, Camila continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Camila P. Cornelio passed away on February 27, 2010 at home in San Diego, California. Camila fought bravely against a brain tumor and a tumor in her right kidney and spinal cord for eighteen months. She is survived by her brother, Tony, and her sisters, Zeny, Lydia and Bebe. Services were held at The Little Chapel of the Roses and the Glen Abbey Mortuary Chapel. Camila was laid to rest in Geln Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Camila P. Cornelio. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.