Forever in our hearts
November 25, 1931- June 17, 2022
"Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31:31
Catalina Songco Malicdem, was born on November 25, 1931 in Guagua, Pampanga, Philippines. She was the 2nd of five children of Emilio and Elena Songco. Her siblings include Lucila, born in 1929, Antonio, 1933-2021, Librada, 1935-2006, and Bertito, 1943-2016.
She went to High School and College at Guagua National College where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1954. Her first occupation in the mid-1950’s was as a secretary for a councilman in Manila.
In 1955 she married Teofilo Malicdem, a Philippine Navy personnel, who was born in 1928 and died in 1970. They would have five children: Ruben, born in 1956, Charibel, born in 1957, Danilo, born in 1959, Victoria, 1961-2020, and Carlito, born in 1963. For several years, she would stop working and dedicate her life to raising her children.
In the 1970’s, after the death of her husband, she would return to work at the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Quezon City, as a BIR tax Specialist. As soon as her petition was approved for a visa for the United States, she would leave her job and relocate to Chicago, Illinois with her son Danilo in 1977. Shortly thereafter, her other four children would leave the Philippines to join her, first to start new lives in Chicago, then in Phoenix.
In 1977, she worked at the Pick-Congress hotel in downtown Chicago in the administrative offices.
In 1978, she worked at Sargent & Lundy, an architectural Firm in downtown Chicago as a Draftsman Planner.
In 1989, she relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to reunite with her children, as well as her siblings Antonio, Lucila and later Bertito.
She worked for about 15 years at American Express in the Collections Office and would retire in 2006.
Catalina had many talents, among them cooking and baking, sewing, crochet, and mahjong. She had a very sharp mind and memory and a very keen sense of humor. She could spend hours trying her luck in casinos, another of her favorite pastimes.
She especially loved doting and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She took her trip of a lifetime when she went to France and visited Lourdes in 2002, but also went to the Philippines to reunite with siblings and extended family after many years of living abroad. She also went on cruises and trips with her children and family to California, Nevada and Mexico.
In later years, she enjoyed her quiet time with her sister Lucy, her brother Tony and sister-in-law Trudy, catching up on just about anything.
She is survived by her four children as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren:
Christopher, Katie (Ruben and Nelia)
Great-Grandchildren: Aurora and Landon (Christopher)
Adrian Marc, Allen Davi and Aaron James, Ariana (Charibel and Charlie)
Great-grandchildren: Cade Dominic and Kingston Jett (Adrian) Lena Quinn (Allen), Yuna (Ariana)
Maria Teresa, Lyneal, and Elena (Danilo and Avell)
Great-grandchildren: Gwen, Nora, Faye, Avry (Lyneal and Marlena), Nylana (Teresa and Toan)
Kristian Maye, Stacey and Dean (Victoria and Glenn)
Great-grandchildren: Michael, Alyssa and Mia ( Kristian Maye)
Great-grandchildren: Isys and Aiden (Stacey and Jesse)
Clein and Chaz Lynne (Carlito)
Great-grandchildren: Vian, Elsie, Ryli, Maddox, Kauai (Clein)
Great-grandchildren: Brendyn, Robbie, SkyLynne, Bentley Allen (Chaz)
She was a parish member of St Luke’s Catholic Church since 1989, was a donor and benefactor of her childhood church in Guagua, as well as the Society of St Vincent de Paul, the American Cancer Society, among others.
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