Aida F. Gingoyon

To Aida F. Gingoyon, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Aida, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Aida really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Aida was born on June 10, 1937 at at her home in Sogod, Cebu, Philippines. Her parents were Vicente and Francisca Gingoyon. Even as a child, Aida had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Aida was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Aida managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Aida was raised with eight siblings. She had Fedilina, Romeo, Chonna, Charlita, Guia, Maria Consuelo and Vicentita.

All of Aida's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Aida experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in softball. In her spare time she liked reading and traveling.

Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Aida was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Aida simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Aida, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Aida's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Aida graduated from University of San Carlos Girls High School in 1952. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.

Aida reveled in her college years, where her imagination could run free. She was viewed by many of her classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Aida was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. She was a jovial person who loved to share her passion for fun with others. But for Aida, life was not a case of all play and no work. Aida relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. She graduated with her nursing degree from Southern Island Hospital.

Aida never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Aida to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Aida delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Aida was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Aida utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were her siblings. Later in life, she became friends with Mae and Melia. Aida loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

At work, as in life, Aida was a real “people person.” She had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Aida liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Aida was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Aida's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Aida as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was a pediatric nurse. She was employed for 38 years by Michael Reese Hospital.

Aida enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Aida liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were spending time with and caring for her family. Aida was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Aida felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Aida loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Aida relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Aida never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Aida played volleyball and softball. Recreation included babysitting her grand nephews and grand nieces. Aida was also quite a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football, baseball, basketball, golf, figure skating, tennis, swimming and karate.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Aida recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was an active member of Old St. Mary's Church for over 20 years. During that time, she was a part of the hospitality group.

Naturally outgoing and generous, Aida was regularly doing things for others. For her, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though she never set out to gain individual recognition, Aida was given accolades for her many and varied accomplishments throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included being named by her family "Best Lola in the World".

Living life in the fast lane suited Aida just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included trips to the Phillipines.

Aida believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 2008, Aida took it in stride as one more way to have fun. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Aida remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in spending her remaining years caring for her family. Even in retirement, Aida continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Aida brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Aida F. Gingoyon lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.