Iluminada Dizon Lopez

Iluminada Dizon Lopez

Sunrise: December 16, 1938

Sunset: June 8, 2025

Today we honor and remember Iluminada “Luming” Dizon Lopez, daughter of the late Esteban Maniago Dizon and Beatrice Villanueva Mallari of Pampanga, Philippines. The third of ten siblings, Luming studied nursing at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and was one of four siblings to graduate from college.

In the 1960s, she was among the wave of Filipino nurses recruited to work in U.S. hospitals. This opportunity led to a nursing career in America and ultimately U.S. citizenship.

Her journey began in Philadelphia at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where she met her future husband, Pedro Dioquino Lopez, through their best friends, Jun and Auring Ferrer. She later worked in Chicago at Michael Reese Hospital and in Toronto at St. Michael’s Hospital. In 1965, she and Pedro married in Norfolk, Virginia.

Pedro’s naval assignments took them to Long Beach, where they had a Catholic wedding at St. Anthony Church, and welcomed their first child, Peter. From 1967–1969, they lived in Newport, Rhode Island, where their second child, the late Emmeline, was born. Luming worked in Fall River, Massachusetts, commuting across state lines with Pedro’s support.

Their next station was Honolulu, Hawaii, where Luming worked at Hanalani Hospital and gave birth to their youngest, Michelle. In 1975, they moved to Everett, Washington, where she worked at General Hospital and cherished family outings—strawberry picking, clamming, and fishing.

Eventually, Pedro secured a permanent transfer to San Diego, California. There, Luming continued her nursing career at various hospitals, including Hillside Hospital (now Kindred), working the night shift and preferring smaller convalescent care settings.

Luming dedicated 43 years to nursing. She was resilient, compassionate, and deeply committed to her patients—so much so that she had to be convinced to retire.

She will be remembered for her love of life’s simple joys: tending to her roses and orchids, dancing the Cha-Cha with Pedro, word search puzzles, and the occasional casino visit. Though quiet and reserved, her rare and unexpected humor brought joy to those around her.

Luming is survived by her children, Peter and Michelle; her grandson, Ethan; her son-in-law, Andy; her siblings, Beng, Bong, Nardo, and Romy; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. She lived a life of quiet strength, and her spirit will remain forever in our hearts. May she rest in eternal peace.