Virgilio H. Maghuyop

When Virgilio H. Maghuyop walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Virgilio was and how he impacted those around him. Virgilio was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Virgilio wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Virgilio was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Virgilio was born on June 26, 1955 at home in Jimenez- Misamis Occidental, Philappines. He was the son of Felipe and Salud Maghuyop Sr. Virgilio was raised in the Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. in 1980. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Virgilio might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Virgilio was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Virgilio was raised with seven siblings. His siblings included Rebecca, Natividad, Elizabeth, Merlyn, Raul, Lorna and Felipe Jr. Virgilio was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Virgilio was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Virgilio well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Virgilio was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Virgilio was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Virgilio took part in basketball and was an altar boy. Virgilio had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Virgilio responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Purvil High School in Jimenz in 1972. Virgilio was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Virgilio absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Virgilio, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Virgilio a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. He was loved by everybody-being funny and always had many jokes, stories to tell that made everybody happy and laughing all the time. Virgilio was the "life" of the party!

Virgilio did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Virgilio was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Virgilio's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Virgilio was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Virgilio was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Virgilio was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Eddie Quilo and Boy Lozano.

On August 2,1983 Virgilio married Annalie Montesa at Philippine Independent Church of Aloran Misamis Occidental. Virgilio's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Annalie's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Virgilio was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Virgilio was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Virgilio, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Maghuyop home. Virgilio's skill at understanding his wife's feelings, his sensitivity to her needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Virgilio was blessed with one child: one daughter, Camille Anne.

Virgilio was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. He was employed for 29 years for Cook County, 17 years for the City of Chicago and owned his own embroidery business for 9 years. Virgilio was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Virgilio had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Virgilio's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Virgilio derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Virgilio played basketball. Virgilio was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were basketball, football, baseball and college basketball.

Throughout his life, Virgilio was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Virgilio 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 Virgilio usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, Virgilio was an active member of the St. Augustine Philippine Independent Church, Northern Mindanao Association and Greater Jimenez Association, USA.

Virgilio was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Augustine Philippine Independent Church for 20 years. During that time, he participated in the choir and many fund-raiser events for church. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Virgilio's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Virgilio took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included the Philippines and California-with family.

Virgilio Maghuyop passed away on June 7, 2010 at University of IL. Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Virgilio fought a brave battle against compliations. He is survived by his wife Annalie, daughter Camille Anne, his siblings Rebecca (Felicisimo) Diango, Natividad (Jerry) Cazaniga, Elizabeth Maghuyop, Merlyn (Bienvenido) Corpus, Raul (Virginia) Maghuyop, Lorna (Dante) Yting and Felipe (Lolita) Maghuyop Jr. and his nieces and nephews Felby Marie, Emmanuel, Felco Diango, Sahlee Anne, Bien Marie, Marie Christina, Patrick Ian, Kevin James, Dana Joyce, Felita, Cheryl and Philip.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Virgilio. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Virgilio Maghuyop for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Virgilio was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.