Marilou dela Cruz de Guzman Dalisay, 57, passed away on the evening of November 7, 2021 surrounded by her children in her Royal Kunia home on O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Born to Antonio Margarejo de Guzman, Sr. and Belen Pangilinan dela Cruz, Marilou came into the world on June 26, 1964 in the City of Gapan, Nueva Ecija in the Philippines as the fifth of eight children. Throughout her lifetime, she was often referred to as Malou or simply Lou by many of her family and friends.

Marilou enjoyed her childhood years in the City of Gapan. After graduating from Nueva Ecija South High School in 1981, she left life in the province to move to the Philippines' National Capital Region with her older sister, RoseMarie, in Quezon City.

After a few years in Metro Manila, Marilou served as a sister missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines Davao Mission and was honorably released on June 2, 1987. Exactly two years after her return, on June 2, 1989, she married her eternal spouse, Rodolfo Bo Dalisay, in Quezon City. She then went on to fulfill her most cherished role as a mother when she gave birth to her first child, Reshley Andrew, in 1991, and then successively her daughter, Rachelynne, in 1994, and youngest son, Raniel, in 1999.

Marilou strongly valued education, and while she initially received her Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Siena College in May of 1992, she later continued to pursue another degree, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences - Psychology from The University of Hawai'i - West O'ahu in May of 2018.

After her collegiate education in Quezon City, Marilou joined her husband, Rodolfo, in a transoceanic move to San Diego, California, where she supported him in his career in the United States Navy. In 1999, they then relocated their family to Hawai'i where they eventually named Royal Kunia and Makiki their home bases. However, many will recall that it was nearly impossible to keep up with Marilou's whereabouts as she had an intensely deep passion for travel; she loved exploring new cities as much as she enjoyed revisiting old cities to catch up with her many friends and relatives. As a dual citizen of the United States of America and the Republic of the Philippines, Marilou had highly decorated passports with stamps from many countries including France, Italy, Japan, China, and Thailand, to name a few. She particularly loved the city of Tokyo and often boasted that she was an expert of the Narita International Airport, especially as passed through it so many times on her way back and forth to Manila. Although she had a never-ending list of destinations she wanted to explore, her final trip found her returning to southern California where she revisited her favorite spots in San Diego and explored the Pacific Coast up to Malibu with her son, Reshley Andrew.

Often recognized as a faithful servant of the Lord, Marilou was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she poured her heart into a lifetime of service not only to the Savior, but also to all of Heavenly Father's children she came across. Usually the first to greet and welcome others, she had the ability to easily become friends with anyone and was never seen without a smile. On Sundays, she could often be spotted outfitted in a brightly colored yet perfectly paired ensemble that matched her vibrant and charismatic personality. Never turning down any opportunity to serve, Marilou graciously shared her time and talents through many church callings including within the Relief Society and Primary, and as a teacher and events coordinator; she also enjoyed singing and was a part of multiple choirs. The temple had a very special place in her heart, and she enjoyed visiting the nearest temple wherever her travels would take her. She especially loved missionary work, and although she served in the Philippines Davao Mission, as previously mentioned, she aspired to serve another full-time mission; it was customary for her to invite and feed the missionaries every month.

Those lucky enough to have experienced Marilou's kindness are no stranger to knowing that one of the many ways she showed love was through her food. Marilou easily and repeatedly earned the smiles and hearts of many through her unmatched cooking—even the simple memory of her fresh and crispy pork lumpia or aromatic and vegetable filled pancit will leave one's mouth watering. Standing at 5'2", her slim and petite figure didn't hinder her from being the life of the party during social events, and she often loved to host parties and gatherings. Her magical touch and seasoned pallet went beyond the kitchen as she also had a green thumb in the garden where she grew many plants and tropical fruits that ended up on the plates of many throughout the years. One of her favorite pastimes was gathering family and friends to barbecue on the beach for holidays and special occasions to enjoy the seaside breeze and watch the sunset. Even on regular days when she was often on the run around town doing errands, Marilou always knew the seemingly secret but best spots on the island to grab a quick bite of food to enjoy in the shade.

As someone who was always dynamic and full of energy, Marilou lived an active life from the time she played collegiate softball to her later years where she enjoyed going to the gym to work up a sweat through Zumba. Many will remember that, even in times of hardship, Marilou danced through life with her lighthearted attitude and was often the first to crack jokes to lighten the mood as she loved to see others laugh and smile. Her wit and demeanor not only served her well in her over twenty years of working as a small business owner and in real estate, but also to strategically be the challenger to beat in games like Ticket to Ride with her family. Marilou valued nothing more than her family, but her charitable character often made it easy for even strangers to feel like a welcome part of her family.

Marilou was diagnosed with Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer in January of 2020. Her fighting resilience was evident in the nearly two-year battle as she endured multiple rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Though the disease caused many changes to her physical body, her kind character was left unaffected, and the hospital staff often commented on how they were surprised and inspired by her selflessness to find ways to serve her fellow patients as if she wasn't the one fighting the disease herself. Marilou hoped to spend one more holiday season with her family as Christmas was her favorite time of the year, but this sacred time is made more brilliant by the memory of her bright light in all the lives she's touched.

Marilou is predeceased by her father, Antonio, and is survived by her mother, Belen, and seven siblings. Marilou is also survived by her husband of thirty-two years, Rodolfo, and their three children: Reshley Andrew, Rachelynne, and Raniel, as well as her son-in-law, Justin, and grandson, Zane. She is greatly missed by her extended family and abundance of friends. Her light and legacy is evident and lives on through the numerous people she touched.

Services to honor and celebrate the life of Marilou Dalisay will be held on Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 9:00 am HST at the Honolulu Hawaii Stake Tabernacle. Marilou's body will be laid to rest immediately after at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; her grave can be located in Section U, Site 585.

The family of Marilou Dalisay invites you to also share written memories or upload photos to Marilou's Everloved page for all to enjoy. Cards, letters, and photographs may be sent to: PO Box 2233, Pearl City, HI 96782.

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