Pastora Magos Canlobo

Pastora Magos Canlobo, 91, passed away in Las Vegas, NV, on February 18, 2922. Her funeral will take place March 5, from 2-3:30 pm at Davis Funeral Homes, 6200 S. Eastern Ave., 89119, with a celebration of life to follow from 3:30-8 pm at 3495 E. Flamingo Road, 89121.

Pastora was born in Dulag, Leyte to Illuminada Alicando Bigail and Bonifacio Magos on September 3, 1930, the youngest of 12 siblings. Of them, only she and her sister Rose survived to adulthood. In World War II, she hid from soldiers who invaded her home, and at age 12 she fought a soldier who was going to harm her sister. She learned English, read borrowed schoolbooks by candlelight, and became a teacher. She built schools for her community. She met her husband, Venancio Canlobo, a janitor at the school where she taught, and they married in 1961. She had her first child, Marigene, in 1963. She and Venancio owned a small sari-sari store in Economia from 1963-1965.

She gave birth to her son Camilo in 1964, and in 1965 she suffered a stillbirth with her son Mario. Her son Joseph was born in 1968. She arrived in the US in January 1969, alone, having initially applied before her marriage to work as a teacher. Her husband and children came from the Philippines in winter 1969. Her youngest son, Leo, was born in California in 1970. They bought their first house in Glendale in 1972.

Over her life, she has worked as a teacher, a bank teller, a social worker for LA County, a convalescent home assistant, a nurse assistant, a casino greeter, a restaurant server, and in Human Resources. She has helped over 30 family members emigrate from the Philippines to the US. She traveled to seven countries.

A devoted Catholic, she renewed her wedding vows in the Vatican (Venancio and Pastora loved each other so much they renewed their vows six times total), visited a river where John baptized, and visited the site in Bethlehem where Jesus Christ was born.

A gifted conversationalist, she would charm strangers with her stories. Pastora taught her family the value of determination and the ultimate importance of love and family.

She is survived by her husband, Venancio-after 61 years of marriage-her children Marigene (Manuel), Joseph, and Leo, her grandchildren M'Alyssa (Susan), Matthew, and M'Aylani, and her great-grandchild Eva.