Maria Corazon V. Macalma

Maria Corazon “Ayang” Valencia Macalma was born on July 15, 1957 to Llorente Quijano Valencia and Lourdes Matic Valencia in Tampo, Botolan, Zambales, Philippines. She is the oldest of four children; Marriza, Ric and Nellie. Ayang attended Zambales National High School, she graduated in the year of 1975. After graduating she then attended college at the University of Santo Tomas where she received her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition in 1979. After college, she worked at the Manila Hotel, she traveled to Singapore and stayed there for a year and a half, then moved to Zambales where she met the love of her life, Jesus ‘Ambo’ R. Macalma. They got married on November 7, 1985. In May 1986, she moved to San Diego. She later had four kids Clifford, Jeselle, JoyceHope, and Melvin. She worked as a Dietition at Paradise Valley Hospital and was a nutritionist for a home-care service in downtown San Diego. In 1996, Ambo recieved military orders to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; moving the family to Vancouver. In 1997, Ambo then again recieved military orders to move to Hawai’i, where they resided for 12 years. In Hawai’i, Ayang worked at the Tripler Army Medical Center for 10 years. During her spare time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with family, traveling, crafting and going to the gym. Ayang cooks a variety of dishes and her most known dishes were pandesal, kare-kare and fresh lumpia, oh and we can’t forget her filipino desserts. When she has the time, she would take catering orders from friends and cook for parties; which would give her some extra money to spend on her children. Ayang would also make flower arrangements as a hobby which she also sold to make extra money when she wasn’t working. Aside from catering and crafting she enjoyed her company with family and friends, either having them over for dinner or taking the weekends to go around the island of Oahu to get away and enjoy the beautiful sites of the island. Such as going to Oahu’s best beaches to picnic and relax, her favorite beach was Ko’olina and the gym was another way of her relaxations. Ayang would travel to places such as: Guam, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Italy, Hong Kong, Saipan, Dubai, and Bahrain. She also traveled around the country to Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, and Virginia. Every time she had the opportunity to travel to these amazing places out of the country she would bring home a souvenier to remember her stay. Sometimes she would take the her kids along with her. But out of all the things she enjoys on her spare time, she loved watching her filipino soap operas not one day goes by where she doesn’t tell her kids to record her favorite shows. Ayang was a great mother to her children as she made sure that there is food on the table for the kids when they come home from school and a great supporter to not just her kids but her husband especially. Her personality is filled with love and good sense of humor, she loved her family so much that she sent countless boxes to the Philippines to support her sisters and relatives with school supplies, hygienic supplies, clothing, canned goods, and household needs. Her sense of humor completed her personality, Ayang would always have a way to cheer someone up with one simple smile or laugh. Her favorite color is yellow, bright and caring just like her heart. She loved it when her husband would give her a dozen of red roses on her birthday, their anniversaries, on valentine’s day, and mother’s day. She loved her kids so much and she would give up anything to spend time with them. She loved mini surprises her children would give her on special occasions and especially on random days throughout the year. She treated her nephews and nieces as if they were her own. She loves to feed them and having food in the refrigerator and table was a must. There is not a day that Ayang was not cooking. She had passion for cooking and everyone loved her cooking. Fortunately, her kids carried on that trait as well as Ambo. Ayang is very family oriented, and loved spending time with extended family members. After her diagnosis to cancer, she still lived her life how she would have. She would take the walker and head to the kitchen and start to cook. Even if she didn’t feel good, she would try her best to interact with family and friends. Through everything she has been through, she remains to have the warmest heart and brightest smile. Her nephews and nieces are reminded by her small jokes and her dance moves. Even though Ayang's time may seem short, Ayang lived a very full life as she wanted to and impacted everyone she has ever known. Her kids know that she has not left them, because it is her blood that runs through their veins. So let us continue to celebrate her life from this day on and forward.