1 August 2016, Makati. Co-Founder of FEED and owner of Flowers & Evergreen Co. Inc., Cecilia Magbanua Dinglasan passed away peacefully on July 29, 2016 in her home in Quezon City (QC).
After her last rites were read during a private mass at 10:00am on July 31st, 2016, Cecil was laid to rest next to her long-time husband and beloved friend Johny Dinglasan at Christ the King Church on E. Rodriguez Avenue in QC.
The mass was well attended, followed by a lunch gathering her family and friends, former colleagues, neighbours and everyone whose life she touched. Prayers were received from many.
For FEED, aside from being one of the two original founders, Cecil was always a pioneer – pushing the organisation to do more in the field of scholarships for the environment, particularly the preservation of Philippine flora. Besides being a full time and active wife and mother, Ces will also be remembered as a reliable friend, sister, family member and advisor to many. She was a master florist and creator of fine bouquets and floral arrangements, familiar with in-depth knowledge of indigenous as well as exotic species from around the world, and a very active native Philippine tree planter – often joining FEED in its reforestation treks into the Sierra Madre mountain range with Student & Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) programs.
Details of her life and photos of her memories are being remembered and shared by her family and friends in conversations, emails and social media postings, clearly showing Cecil’s loving nature, generosity and boundless care for everyone:
“I am deeply saddened, like you. She was such a kind & sincere person. Will miss Cecille. Praying for Cecille & her husband, Johnny.” – Mario Gatus
“In the few times I met her I saw a very sweet and kind individual in her ever ready smile.” – Angela Lampa
“We can take comfort that Tita Cecille lives on in the lives of others from the stories about her”. -Nina Aguas
“I just read about the passing away of Cecile. I know how close she was to your family as she shared your advocacies, especially tree planting. I am here in La Union and cannot be there for the wake but my prayers are for eternal rest. Please extend my condolences to her family.” – Mary Jane Ortega
“I’m so sorry to hear the sad news. Pleases extend my condolences to her family. Surely she will be missed. Though I just met her shortly, she impressed me as a loving friend and person. I will include her in my prayers.Peace, Prayers, Love.” – Frances Mananquil
“We feel blessed, that we have known Cecile. The love for plants, especially the Medinilla, is what brought us together more than 20 years ago. We have known Cecile as a warm, caring, happy and loving friend. She was very proud of her children, and she will live on especially in them, but also in all other people who met and knew her. We will miss you, Cecile and we will always remember you!” –Rob and Marjolein Scheffers, Atlantis Nursery, The Netherlands
“God bless Tita Cecilia. We love you and cherish your memory. You are always with us. Thank you. Xoxo” 🌷🎶👑🌞✨ Henry-Jacques
“Schoolgirl smiles, sisters beyond time or space. No doubt, giggling over the Manneken Pis. I will always remember you ‘mare ko’ Cecilia as one of the rare few gems able to uplift mom’s spirit and together find and generate light in any dark moment. You will be sorely missed. So stick around…here’s to more happy days!” – Anne-Marie Bakker
FEED President Ophelia Bakker-Mananquil noted: “She was a remarkable woman, real true friend, in every sense of the word. She always there, whenever and wherever she was needed, with her everlasting smile. How we will all miss her. I am very happy I was able to do with her all the things we loved doing together – plants, flowers, children, everything we did together, we travelled together so much….When we were in Holland she and Johnny came to visit us often, and even when Johny was gone, she came and we attended the flower auctions together. We used to gather all the flowers at every end of the auction and exhibitions we went to. Our house was always full of the loveliest flowers because of Cecil! I call her Santa Cecilia because she is the best, my guardian angel!”
PRAYER FOR HER CHILDREN
- Lord, you have taken Cecille from her children,
- Their Mom so precious and irreplaceable
- There are no words we can say at the moment to express our sympathy
- No words that can alleviate their sorrow or take away the pain.
- So we lift up to you Lord their grief, the shock and the pain
- The emptiness, the anger and the despair, the loneliness, the fear and the uncertainty
- Which at times will still overwhelm them.
- We pray for strength for the family
- Hold on to them Lord Be very near
- Even when they feel you to be very far away
- Support them in the weeks and months and yes even the years ahead
- Grant them comfort as you have promised
- Until they have peace at last!!”
Adapted from a prayer by an Anonymous person, with Love & Prayers from: Tita Cion Raymundo (FEED Board Member)
Cecil was also former florist of the Mandarin Oriental Manila from 1986 to 1996; Founding President of the Federation of Cutflowers & Ornamental Plant Growers of the Philippines from 1990 to 1995; Member of the International Pant Propagators of the Japan Region; and Owner of the CMD Flowers & Evergreen Corporation, Inc. Philippines.
Ces is survived by her three children, Dr. Jordan, a Canada-based nano-technologist; her only daughter, the very sweet Ma. Anna Kristina, a gender & development specialist; and the youngest Philip, head coach of Ateneo Manila High School.
We pray for the eternal repose and peace of our dearest Cecil.
“Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become part of your environment”. – Yayoi Kusuma, Japanese artist and writer.
May your legacy in planting, prayer, peace-making and people-loving continue to inspire others well beyond the Earth and humanity needs it.
(c) FEED, Inc.