This memorial website was created in loving memory of our father, Josefino "Penoy" Ligaya, 67. He was born on January 25, 1949 in Manila, Philippines, and passed away in his home on August 11, 2016. He is survived by his oldest son, Joseph and wife Christine; daughter Caroline and husband Adam; youngest son Jeffrey; grandson Evan; his sister Violeta; and brothers Manny and Eddie.
Burial Information
If you'd like to visit where our dad rests, he is in Fairfax Memorial Park (9900 Braddock Road, Fairfax VA 22032) in the Garden of Serenity, Colombarium Wall 1, Section 1 - right in the middle of the wall as you come up the path.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Funeral Mass
Friday, 16 September 2016 at 11:00 am
St. Ambrose Catholic Church
3901 Woodburn Road, Annandale VA 22003
Burial at Fairfax Memorial Park to follow Mass
9900 Braddock Road, Fairfax VA 22032
Meet at the Memorial Park Office by 1215pm to process to site
Celebration of Life lunch reception to follow Burial Service
St. Ambrose Parish Hall
3901 Woodburn Road, Annandale VA 22003, next to Church
Upon arrival from Memorial park, or around 1:00 to 4:00pm
Tributes
Leave a tributeVisit us in our sleep and tell us in our dream if that is what it is like and how it feels like to be in heaven. Most of all, help us to dedicate all the activities of our remaining lives to the greater glory of God.
We miss you but we are happy for you where you are now.
- your Classmates in MSHS Class 1964.
My thoughts and prayers are with Joe's family and friends at this very sad time. I'm sorry I am unable to attend the services this Friday, along with some of our PAHO/WHO fellow Toastmasters (TM).
My daughter, her husband, their two year old son and newborn daughter require my support for a bit longer, so I'm unable to return to the DC area this week. TM gave me great experience wearing many hats: every hat from cook to laundress, nanny to maidservice, not to mention a proud grandmother's undivided, endless love and affection. Joe and I shared thoughts on the joys of grandparenthood just last year.
Joe Ligua was an incredible leader and role model. Our TM club certainly will bear a major loss without him. Because of his dedication, wisdom, experience and exemplary speeches, he inspired countless members and guests over the many years we were fortunate to have him as an active member and officer, at every level.
After stepping down from my two years as club president, I then accepted the role of area governor. It was a no brainer that Joe could successfully lead our club to new heights. Even though he was not a PAHO employee, he had been dedicated and committed to attending and participating in all regular meetings in every role on the agenda and fulfilling each club officer's role. Despite all of his work, family and other TM commitments with different clubs, he willingly allowed me to twist his arm to accept the responsibility of club president.
Joe offered all our members a fresh perspective and had a clear vision for individual and club success. We all benefitted greatly from his insight. When the club initiated new meetings with TM manuals in Spanish, Joe was one of the first to become involved and he showed a keen interest in this endeavor.
In typical PAHO tradition, I refuse to say goodbye. Instead, I prefer to say, "Hasta la vista, Joe, or until I see you again, Joe."
Respectfully,
Linda
My sincere condolences to the Ligaya family. Teacher Joe was wonderful with the students. We would exchange weekly emails about student progress and ideas for the class. He was always excited to see what students were learning and what new subjects we could present. A number of times when I couldn't teach my class on Thursday, Joe would graciously volunteer to help out. I so appreciated his enthusiasm and steadfastness.
Everyone in ESOL at St. Matthews, and especially the Level 2 students, will miss Teacher Joe. I will miss him most of all. He made a difference.
This is the Josefino Ligaya that I know and will always remember. Tito Penoy - the thoughtful, intelligent, and well-spoken Ligaya who reached out and connected with friends and relatives at every opportunity he got.
Throughout the years, Tito Penoy visited family & friends in Manila, Laguna, Bangkok & Sydney. There was even a time when he rendezvoused with my Nanay in Europe just to give her company during her holiday.
While this message of gratitude didn't arrive on time, unlike the one Tito Penoy wrote to my Tatay in 1999, I wish to say:
Tito Penoy, you are forever in our hearts. You taught us a valuable lesson on how to be a true human being. Our prayers are always with you as you rest in eternal peace in the arms of our Lord.
My deepest condolence. I miss your dad so much. I know he is already at peace with the Lord.
-Love, Lola Tela
Sleep in peace, Tito.
albert, caroline and jeffrey... my heart grieves with you.
to my dear penoy... i was counting on you to find me if and when i got lost. you worried whenever you didn't receive your birthday card on time and always made sure i was okay. and now you're gone. I will miss sending those cards; i will miss you. rest in peace...
We were shocked to hear of dear Penoy's sudden demise and cannot even begin to imagine that he is now gone from this earth! We saw him last on Dec. 11, 2015, at the Memorial Service of our dear sister, Erlinda Caluag Dancer in MD and he looked just fine! We will be offering a mass for his eternal rest at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Church in Richboro PA. The world has lost one brilliant man, very kind and humble! Rest in peace, dear Penoy, where there is no more pain and suffering. Vaya con Dios!!! Love from us all!!!
memorial massess has been offered since time of death at pcj parish.
"If a loved one has departed and left an empty space, Seek the inner stillness, set a slower space.
Take time to remember, allow yourself to cry, Acknowledge your emotions, let sadness pass on by.
Then center in the oneness, remember God is near, Death is but a change in form, our dear Penoy is still near.
Treat yourself with kindness, allow yourself to feel; God will do the mending, and time will help you heal." - - - from Manny, Chuchay, Anna, EZ & Charlotte and Seinna
Leave a Tribute
Remembering Penoy on His Birthday
PENOY'S Favorite Songs
In the Summer of 1968, just after our graduation from college, Penoy and I accepted a teaching stint in the College of Arts and Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila University, which was to last for a year for Penoy and three years for me.
Every day, after our classes, I was Penoy’s constant companion while he drove around the UP campus, Cubao commercial center and eventually home, in his Kuya Manny’s green Volkswagen Beetle car. On weekends, we were joined by another teacher , from the Ateneo High School department, in various wholesome activities such as browsing bookstores, dining in affordable restaurants, campus touring, watching and cheering for the Ateneo team in UAAP basketball games and hanging around with our girl friends (note the very significant space between the two words).
Music playing from the car radio kept us entertained as we drove from place to place. Our common favorite songs then were Bobby Goldsboro’s hits, “Little Green Apples” and “Honey”. When I hear these songs now, my mind wanders back to those idyllic times and places and I remember all our dear friends who were part of our young-adult lives.
And the Volkswagen Beetle, which to this day, is my dream car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeTXZ5zPt7k
Ramon A. Panotes' remembrance of his Visit to Penoy
In 1981 I was travelling to the U.S. for the first time. After doing my stint in Wilmington, Delaware, I took the train to Union Station in Washington D.C. Penoy was there to meet me; we hugged and danced around. I was the first of our class that he'd seen since he left the Phils. in 1969. He hadn't been a balikbayan yet. He packed me off in his BMW, took me to his home in Falls Church, VA. There I met Lena, and Adelbert, who was just three years old or so.
After lunch, we drove around D.C., which impressed me as one huge park, parks here and parks there. We visited the Capitol, drove around the White House. He took me to Arlington National Cemetery, I said a prayer before the grave of JFK, with the perpetual flame. In the afternoon, we strolled around the banks of the Potomac. If you're not careful, you could actually roll over to the water. Jetliners were flying all over across the river most of the time. From the banks of the Potomac, you could actually see the Watergate Hotel, quite a famous or infamous landmark at the time.
He also took me shopping at Neiman Marcus (as if there's anything there I could afford!). After dinner at home, we went out again, ending up in an interesting place near Georgetown U. The place was full, and we were lucky to get a small round table. There was no stage, but a girl was always trying to dance on top of the bar, for reasons which soon became obvious. We stayed for an hour or so, just to see if the obvious would really become obvious.
The next day, Penoy showed me a small tree in his backyard, actually bearing oranges. And there was even a squirrel scampering about. After breakfast, it was out again, this time to the Smithsonian Institution. It was so huge, you couldn't possibly see all of it in a day. We visited a few of the exhibits (dinosaurs, strange-looking fish, the first flying dinosaurs, etc.) But we spent the most time at the Air and Space Museum. Truly fascinating. the Wright Brothers first flying contraption, John Glenn's space capsule, various supersonic jet planes.
After that two-day holiday in D.C. it was time to go back to work. Penoy took me back to the train station to catch a train to New York. Leave-taking wasn't overly dramatic. It was just "thanks for everything" and "when are you coming back home to the Phils. For a visit? Soon!"
I don't know if Penoy liked Elvis, but this is song I dedicate to Penoy's memory: