Benjamina Buco Gutierrez

Dedicated Wife, Loving Mother, and Best Mother-In-Law, Grandmother, Great Grandmother - Benjamina Buco Gutierrez, age 87, passed into God’s hands on July 19th, 2015. Throughout her life, she demonstrated the importance of family and faith in God.

Benjamina was born on April 18th, 1928 in the province of Pampanga, Philippines to Julia and Felix Buco. She had one brother and four sisters. At age 18, she married her husband, Maximo Gutierrez Sr. in Manila, Philippines; she had twelve children: three deceased - Romeo, Romuald, Carmelita and nine living - Mila (Lucy) Cruz, Patsy (Cristy) Alfonso, Bhong (Armando) Gutierrez, Ito (Paquito) Gutierrez, Jaime Gutierrez Sr., Jule (Julie) Gutierrez, Jun (Max) Gutierrez Jr., Nelia Ordaz, Beng (Bernalyn) Gutierrez, and one stepdaughter Vadeth (Vernadette) Grande.

In 1978, Benjamina was petitioned by her husband to journey to San Jose, CA and her children followed. She worked at AMD in Sunnyvale, CA from 1978-1986, taking the graveyard shift so that she could look after her children and grandchildren during the day.

She left her job at AMD and continued to care for her grandchildren while balancing her prayers and faith in God. In 2005, she fulfilled her dream of visiting the Vatican church in Rome where she had the honor of meeting the Pope.

She was blessed to have lived a full and loving life, surrounded by the people who cared for her the most - her husband of 69 years, her children, her 26 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

As she ascends to heaven, Benjamina’s legacy will live on in our hearts and will continue to grow with her family. Her strength kept her family together and after her passing, she will continue to live through them.