Louisa Montserrat Bonilla Eclarinal Canestaro, 59, passed away unexpectedly on February 11, 2019. Affectionately known as “Louie” by her friends and family, she was a strong woman who passionately loved those close to her and vigorously protected everything she cared about. She was known for her courageous and compassionate soul, commanding presence, and contagious laughter. Louie exuded independence with a tenacious spirit.
The middle child of Eulogio and Felicitas Eclarinal in Subic, Zambales, Philippines, Louie was a staunch advocate for justice. Graduating from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Foreign Service, Louie advocated for the rights of the Filipino people and protested against the Marcos regime. She traveled extensively around the Philippines with her fellow activists on many adventures.
In 1982, though invested in the struggle of the country of her birth, Louie joined her parents and siblings in San Antonio, Texas to seek better opportunities. Pursuing her interest in the environment, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Geology.
Louie and Charles met on the San Antonio riverwalk. They spent their first date at a music festival, and it was immediate love. They married in 1987 and had two radiant children, Vida and Maya.
An environmental scientist by trade, Louie worked to make her community more sustainable. She was an expert on water, and she used her green thumb to fill the world with plants. She enjoyed cooking for her loved ones the delicious Filipino cuisine she grew up with.
Well-read and cultured in the arts, Louie was inquisitive and constantly searching for new things to learn. Everything that Louie did was filled with passion. She always supported her brothers in their musical endeavors and film projects. She immersed her daughters in Filipino culture, encouraging their participation in the Karilagan traditional dance troupe. Louie ardently supported her daughters in their aspirations - Maya in her dance career, and Vida’s study of psychology. Louie herself was an excellent photographer.
Louie was the manifestation of strength and love. Her legacy lives on in the women who have come after her, all of whom emulate her independence, her loyalty, and her limitless capacity for love. She inspired the best from everyone she carved about as she knew their immense capabilities.
Recently, she took Charles to witness the beauty of the Philippines.
Louisa Montserrat Bonilla Eclarinal Canestaro is survived by her husband Charles, their daughters Vida and Maya, her aunts Oding, Edita and Noring, her sister Zenaida, her brothers Eulogio, Rommel, and Oliver, their spouses Alice, Cathleen, and Mariel, her nieces and nephews Michael, Aimee, Hazel, Erica, Eulogio, Nikki, Jesse, Miles, Cole, and Amihan, and her great nephews and nieces Grady, Oliver, Luna, Davis, Nina, Colin, Rohan, and Elodie.
Louie is greatly missed.
