Arsenia Gomez Angeles

Arsenia was born on November 28, 1924, in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines, to Fidel and Francisca Gomez. Following the early loss of her father when she was six, her mother relocated the family by boat to Palawan. Supported by the generosity and guidance of her Uncle Emil, the family operated a small grocery store, Balgros Market, which sustained them during lean years. For most of her formative childhood and teen years, Arsenia grew up along the coast of Palawan diving for pearls, fishing, riding horses and swimming for hours. Gifted with a brilliant mind, she even learned Tagbanua and Japanese Katakana, eventually becoming an elementary school teacher. That idyllic life was shattered by the outbreak of World War II, forcing her family to abandon everything and seek refuge deep in the mountains to survive the hardships of wartime occupation for over four years.

Following the war, Arsenia returned to Pampanga and settled in Mabalacat, where she met the love of her life, Benito Angeles, at a nearby river. They soon married and moved to Manila, where Arsenia dedicated herself as a stay-at-home mother to raising their five children: Eduardo, Cynthia, Nestor, Enrique, and Rebecca. After Benito’s passing in 1984, Arsenia immigrated to the United States, opening her life and heart to help raise many of her grandchildren at different stages of their lives, and even teaching many of them how to swim.

A woman of remarkable ingenuity and skill, Arsenia was a gifted seamstress. She possessed the ability to study a garment in a shop window and recreate it by hand, often elevating the design with her own custom touches. In Manila, she crafted fine decorative pillows for prominent interior designers, and in later years, she dedicated her hands to ministry, crafting thousands of rosaries for U.S. service members, charitable groups in Africa and across Asia, and for her loved ones. Life in her later years was defined by steady routines: morning news, quiet daily prayer, faithful attendance at Mass, listening to old Jazz and crooner CDs, watching The Filipino Channel and traveling around with family.

She is survived by her youngest brother, Fidel Gomez (Adoracion “Dory”); her children: Eduardo "Ed" Angeles (Leni), Cynthia "Cynne" Bustamante (late Cesar), Nestor "Thor" Angeles (Pauline), Enrique "Ike" Angeles, and Rebecca "Bec" Angeles; her 18 grandchildren and their partners: Priscilla Johnson (Jason), Charity Bustamante, Edward Angeles (Rhoda), Angelica Angeles (Nicholas), Christian Bustamante, Daniel Angeles, Kim Angeles (Rondel), Cristina Smith (Cliff), Edelen Herrera (Jacob), Leica Angeles, Francheska Campos (Fernando), Beatrice Hakim (Pasha), Benny Lou B. Angeles (Leslie), Evita Angeles (Edgar), Emil Angeles, Marijane Angeles, Enrique James Angeles, and Alexandria Angeles; as well as many beloved great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Benito Angeles; her parents, Fidel and Francisca Gomez; her sister, Gloria Lantano; her brothers, Federico Gomez, Pablo Gomez, and other cherished relatives, including Gigi Lizardo and Darlito "Lito" Lantano.

Arsenia’s legacy of resilience, strength, deep faith, and love have shaped generations. Her memory will forever live in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.