Luisito M. Canillas

Born on April 10, 1953 in Manila, Philippines, Luisito M. Canillas was the eldest son of four children to his parents, the late Swissa & Luis Canillas. He and his siblings were raised together in both IloIlo, Philippines and Ghana, West Africa. His family moved to New York in the 1960’s where he finished high school at Bayside High in Flushing, NY. Luisito went on to York City College for his bachelor’s degree in Biology, which he finished at Adamson University in the Philippines. He attended a year of medical school at the University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Medical School (UERM). In 1981, he discontinued his studies and began a life with his new family. He married the love of his life, Grace and proudly welcomed his first-born son, Louie a.k.a. “Booboo”, into the world.

Lovingly known as “Boy” by his family, and “Louis” by his friends and coworkers, Luisito was a man of purpose who was deeply dedicated to providing for his family. For nearly 30 years, he worked two full-time jobs as a laboratory technologist in Manhattan-- one at Veterans Administration Hospital and the other at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He strongly believed in working as hard as he possibly could to ensure his family’s security and comfort.

On top of his work ethic, Luisito was honest and straightforward. He never hesitated to lend the truth, no matter how simple or hard, to those receptive to it. He always had well-thought out opinions on matters of the world and its history. He was philosopher, a teacher of life, always asking the why and sharing the how. Some of his other passions were cockfighting in the Philippines, ballroom dancing with his beloved wife, and boxing-- competing as Golden Glove boxer in his early twenties.

In 1989, he and his wife bought a house in New City, NY where they would raise their children and watch them grow into adulthood. He prided himself in taking care of the house through landscaping and gardening. In his spare time, he loved to reflect on his own with his favorite music, watch boxing, and read up on cars, stereos, and technology He was a true audiophile, taking serious interest in sound quality and acoustics, even building his own speaker system by hand.

In the last six years of his life, he battled several ongoing medical conditions that tested-- but never waivered-- his drive, his resilience, and his resolve. His rare ability to persevere and take courage in a silent manner inspired all of those who knew him… and despite his inner strength, he had a gentle heart and a quirky demeanor that made him so lovable.

He is survived by his wife, Grace, his three children, Louie, Leanne, & Greg, as well as his two siblings, Lana and Elmo, his two cats Cora-Lilly & Dexter, and the family dog, Skyla, that will all miss him dearly.