Prescilla Pascua LaHann

Our beloved Prescilla was born on May 14, 1952 in San Fernando, Luzon, Philippine Islands to Marcela and Pete Pascua. As her father was career military, Prescilla and her family lived in a number of places both within and outside the United States. Her time in the U.S. Panama Canal Zone made a particular impression on her and she often talked about her experiences as a young girl living in that environment. Her father retired from the Army in Washington State and it was there that Pres graduated from high school. After high school, Pres attended the University of Washington where in 1974 she graduated with a BSN in nursing. It was during this time that she met her husband Tom. Pres and Tom married on August 10, 1974 and lived in Seattle for several more years while Tom finished his Ph.D. During that time, Pres worked as a labor and delivery nurse for the UW hospital. She loved the idea that her work was about helping to bring new life into the world and throughout her life, she never tired of the thrill of labor and delivery. On September 29, 1975, Prescilla gave birth to their first son, Matthew. In 1977, Pres, Tom and Matthew moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. While living in Cincinnati, Pres worked as a medical surgical nurse. On January 27, 1979 she gave birth to their second son, Daniel. During this time period, Pres and Tom were active members of the Harrison dojo of Shorin-Ryu karate. Family and karate were Pres’s major focus and she was very accomplished in both. However, Pres missed the Pacific Northwest, so in 1984, Tom accepted a faculty position at Washington State University and the family moved to Pullman, Washington. While in Pullman, Pres worked as a labor and delivery nurse at the Pullman hospital, and as the head cardiac intensive care nurse at the Moscow hospital’s cardiac intensive care unit. While in Pullman, Pres and Tom raised the boys, and made great family friends, spending hours and hours playing pinochle and laughing weekend nights away. In 1990, the family moved to Pocatello, Idaho and Pres became an instructor for the Idaho State University Practical Nursing Program. She was great at teaching and loved to work with students that shared her passion for caring for others. It was in Pocatello that Pres discovered three additional passions – bowling, cooking and slot machines. Pres’ love for bowling led her to join a bowling league, which would become a constant for the rest of her life. Pres was also an accomplished cook and took pride in the food comas she was able to put Tom and the boys in. When it came to the slots, Pres was always optimistic that lady luck would be on her side, and it must have worked as she won more than she lost. In 2002, Pres and Tom took up residence in Fairfax, Virginia and she accepted a half-time position as a labor and delivery nurse at Reston Hospital Center. Pres made several close friends at work and took a lead role at the hospital in supporting grieving families that experienced perinatal loss. She earned RNC-OB certification as an inpatient obstetric nurse. During this time, she saw both sons get married, as well as the gift of 3 grandchildren, and she enthusiastically embraced her role as ‘da Grams’! Shortly after moving to Fairfax, Pres joined the local bowling league, discovered more friendships, and took great pride in being a contender for top bowler. She also discovered her passion for estate sales. Over the years, it became a routine – almost every weekend, Pres and Tom would attend an estate sale or auction. She loved to collect unusual boxes, although purses and jewelry also attracted her attention. Pres continued to work as a nurse until 2017, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She successfully beat cancer, but the experience prompted her to retire and focus even more of her energy on family. Sadly, on April 8, 2019, Prescilla suddenly and unexpectedly passed. While she was only 66 years old, Prescilla had lived a vibrant life and shared so much of herself with her work, neighbors, friends and her family. Prescilla was a devout Catholic who accepted Jesus as her savior, and her family takes solace in knowing that God has called her to be with him. Prescilla is survived by her loving husband Tom of Fairfax, Virginia; her son Matthew, his wife Krystal and their two children – Kaia and Gabriel of Scottsdale, Arizona; and her son Daniel, his wife Holly and their daughter, Elyse (with their second baby due in September) of Moscow, Idaho. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association in Prescilla's memory: https://donations.diabetes.org/site/Donation2?df_id=20044&mfc_pref=T&20044.donation=form1&s_src=WWP190201DXXXXA012CC&utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=evergreen-040319&utm_term=in