Below is the Eulogy and Her Story that was shared during the Program:

Lucy Luzvisminda Dy Buco Lim Sumaraga, 85, of San Jose California, passed away December 1, 2023. She was born February 28, 1938 in Pandan, Antique, Philippines, the daughter of Mother Praxedes Dionela Dy Buco and Father Vincente Pentingco Lim. She was the middle of five siblings. 

Her family survived World War II when they went into hiding in the Mountains of Panay Island during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945) as they searched for her father who was the Chief of Police in Pandan, Antique. Her youngest brother was actually born during hiding. They were almost discovered via an informant, but escaped by sheltering in the hollow behind a waterfall which would have been a turning point for the entire family otherwise. She along with immediate family were fortunate to survive. After World War 2, her town rebuilt and restored their lands. Able to thrive, she was social with her barkada (close friends group), engaged in her schooling, loved civic discussions with peers and the nuns and graduated from Pandan Bay Institute in 1955.

Through serendipitous circumstances, at the age of 17 she left to study abroad in the United States via a student visa through the sponsorship of her Uncle Miguel Lim in Monterey, California. Sailed to the port of San Francisco with one suitcase in tow. For schooling, she ended up staying in Mountain View with her Aunt Lourdes Dy Buco Roquero, who came to the US earlier as a World War II Bride. Upon arrival to the United States, she took remedial courses at Mountain View High School to get acclimated and strengthen her English and then proceed to San Jose Community College.

At school, she was involved in a local version of the Peace Corps and sang in the Choir. But faced many challenges being away from home and not having as much financial and emotional support for her schooling and other matters. She took solace in friends and Kababayan , the community of Filipinos and townspeople here in the US, and help from teachers and professors.

Foreign students were not allowed to work at that time. To get by, she managed to find a number of odd jobs through her Kababayan and associates from working in the fields picking strawberries and asparagus, at a flower garden nursery, providing childcare, as a candystriper assistant at a hospital, to even being a bell hop/elevator girl at Hotel De Anza in downtown San Jose. She managed to complete her course work at San Jose City College (1959), and proceed and graduate from San Jose State University (1963) with intentions on Occupational Therapy.

Through prompting of many of her Kababayan, she was introduced to Ernesto Luces Sumaraga Jr where he courted her for a year and they later married in 1964. Ernesto was serving in the military under the Army’s 82nd Airborne and brought his new bride Lucy to North Carolina and Fort Bragg where she had to adjust further to the different temperaments of the Jim Crow environment and before Civil Rights.

In North Carolina, she managed to get a position at a hospital and sought to continue her hours toward Occupational Therapy with Fayetteville Technical Institute. However, once Ernie’s tour of duty completed, she was not able finish her certification. The couple returned to California and her life path changed.

Their first child, Lorna Mae Sumaraga was born in Stanford Hospital. They later settled in San Jose with help of the GI Bill and friends moved into their first and only house in 1971, a new development subdivision where previously walnut and fruit orchards existed. There they welcomed their second daughter, Myra Sumaraga at San Jose Regional Hospital.

Lucy became part of Silicon Valley history’s 1st wave of women especially women of color to work in the manufacturing arm of Silicon Valley at Memorex. She worked on assembling memory boards to help support the family.

Tragedy struck in 1977, after returning from burying her mother in the Philippines, Ernesto passed away two months later at work. His untimely death was due to a freak accident from a stray bullet from the hands of a juvenile. She found herself a single mother with two children to raise by herself. She navigated through a lengthy court battle to secure the financial well-being of her family and the future for her two children which she won.

She never remarried and committed herself to her family and preoccupied herself with other interests that she enjoyed: her friends, kababayan, art, cooking food and gardening her beloved irises. She was involved with her kids schools via PTA, teachers aid, and school yard duty. She returned to the workforce doing various jobs. Her last stint was with the Milpitas Police Department for ten years in the Crossing Guard.

She was able to witness the birth of her first, grandchild, Lakas in November 1997. He was her sidekick and took him along to many of her community events. She kept busy as a senior at the San Jose City’s IoLa’s Senior program, George Shirakawa Center and nutrition programs at Seven trees Community Center. Enjoyed the crafts, dancing cha-cha and socializing with other fellow elder peers.

In her later years, she encountered several health ailments but continued to be a fighter. She rebounded from a stroke in 2010 which impacted her left side. And she was able to walk her daughter down the aisle with assistance in 2012. Later the next year, she was able to see her first, granddaughter, Mylaya.

As her health continued to decline (she faced heart and kidney issues with onset of dementia), she primarily stayed in Oakland as granddaughter entered Kindergarten and would occasionally go back to her San Jose house on the weekends and holidays. She went through a series of hospitalizations in her last two years of life but was not ready to say goodbye.  She enjoyed her immediate family all together one last time during Thanksgiving and the following week, she passed peacefully in her sleep of natural causes in the beginning of December 2023.

She is survived by her two daughters. eldest daughter Lorna Mae Sumaraga and Myra Sumaraga (Myron Lindsey), Grandson Lakas Teodoro Sumaraga. Granddaughter Mylaya Soleil Sumaraga Lindsey. Her remaining sibling and older sister, Moning Lim Mallanes, 92, in Pandan Antique, Philippines. And all her relatives in the United States, in the Philippines and around the world.

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