Maria Isabel Buenconsejo

At the Age of 58, Maria Isabel Buenconsejo, otherwise known as Maribel, recently passed on April 11, 2015 of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) caused by cancer. After almost two and a half years of battling for her life, her journey finally brought her to the heavens above us.

Born on September 21st, 1956, Maribel came into this world without any idea of what an impact she would have on people.

Before becoming the wife of William Buenconsejo, and mother of Kyle and Kim Buenconsejo, Maribel was grounded with a foundation that would set her up for an amazing future.

With the guidance of her parents, Venusto and Clarita Bengua, Maria’s journey through brought her to many amazing experiences.

Maribel finished high school and graduated from the St. Mary’s Academy (Exclusive School for Girls) in Dipolog City in the Philippines. She later continued her education to becoming a Nurse through the Cebu Doctors College of Nursing located in the Philippines.

After a few years of being a professor and nurse in her home country, she decided to take a leap of faith and move to America in hopes of starting a more opportunistic life of her own. Her journey led her to helping lives using her nursing knowledge to aid those at St Luke’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Eventually her work brought her under the Texas Children’s Hospital System where she used her energy and love to care for those in the Mother Baby Unit of the hospital.

Maribel was a caregiver by nature. She took care of those who needed help, and aided this who deserved it. Expression through action was how she chose to connect with people, and to this day people remember her as someone who would always aim to give other people happiness. Whether it was the patients she took nursed, the friends she listened to, or the children she watched over, she was able to grant happiness to them in some sort of way.

Her physical presence will be missed, but she will always be in our hearts. So please, let us all come together to celebrate the life of this Daughter, Sister, Father, Mother, and friend. Her heart touched others countlessly, now it is time for us to share the energy that she has shared with all of us. We will make sure to give her a celebration fit for her selflessness.