ForeverMissed
Large image

Guillermina Gundy, known to her friends as Nena, died on the 15th of February 2019 after a short illness.

Guillermina was born on the 28th of June 1930 in San Marcelino in the province of Zambales of the Philippines.  She was named after San Guillermo, the patron saint of her hometown.  From her birth, her father lovingly referred to her as Nena.  She was the third youngest of nine brothers and sisters and grew up during the tumult of World War II.  She came to the United States in 1954 as a graduate student in psychology at Indiana University.  She married and raised a daughter and a son.
She was an accomplished player of the violin, piano and the organ.  Later in life she returned to her love of the piano, which she played on and off again up to just a few years ago. Nena could often be heard practicing Bach's Goldberg Variations on her prized Yamaha baby grand piano for hours.  She loved the arts and ballet and admired the craft in all things done with excellence.  In her last years, she watched tennis with a passion and had a near-encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary tennis stars.  She remained an ardent fan of New York City and all it has to offer even during her last years when she could no longer venture outside to enjoy the city.
While in her mid-60s, Nena was diagnosed with a bone cancer that was rare in someone of her age.  Despite the changes brought about by this adversity, she persevered with her love of travel, taking many trips abroad well into her 70s.  A devout Catholic, one of these trips included fulfilling a life-long dream of visiting the Vatican.
By her friends, Nena is remembered as kind and charitable. She was an energetic, tireless  conversationalist who loved telling good stories.  With a storyteller's keen sense of hyperbole, it's unclear to this day how many of her stories and memories were absolutely, might have been, could have been or should have been true!  By her family, she is remembered for all of these things, but also for her loving support and supreme generosity.  A woman of very strong opinions and principles, who would defend her positions feistily and was not afraid to do so using very colorful language.  She remained devoted to her faith and could be heard whispering prayer unto her final breath.
She is survived by her daughter, Maria, her son, Peter, and her granddaughter, Carmen.  At the request of her family, in lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Guillermina (Nena's) name to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center toward the fight against cancer ( http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/guillerminagundy) .
February 17
February 17
Dear Mom,
I continue to feel your presence, my beautiful mother. I thought about you, Peter, and Dad and missed you very much. Please continue to watch over me and everyone else. I appreciate it. 

Forever your loving daughter, Maria
November 2, 2023
November 2, 2023
Thinking of you on All Souls Day. I hope Peter has found you and you are together. Merciful Father, hear our prayer and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that my departed family members will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
December 25, 2022
December 25, 2022
Dearest Mother,
Wishing you love, hope, joy, and peace on Christmas.  Feeling your presence today fills my heart with the loving memories of when we celebrated the holiday together. It was so beautiful each year. Merriest Christmas to my angel in heaven. I love you.


June 28, 2022
June 28, 2022
It's the time of year that the memories of you are the most vivid - June. It is your birth month, your favorite flowers are in bloom (roses), and NYC is celebrating the beginning of Summer. It was a happy time! Happy Birthday to you in heaven, Mom.
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
Happy birthday, Mom - I miss you and wish we could be together celebrating.
Love always,
Peter
June 28, 2021
June 28, 2021
Happy Birthday to you in heaven. We would be celebrating the day together, as we did every year. Thinking of you and missing you always. Love, Maria
February 15, 2021
February 15, 2021
Yesterday was Valentine's Day. I thought about how my mother always got huge, beautiful flower bouquets from Peter. I would give her roses, her favorite flower. I think about mom everyday, but today, I sent love to heaven for her. She remains forever in my heart. 
June 29, 2020
June 29, 2020
I was one of the Ladioray to see you before you took a rest... Celebrate your birthday with my dad there in heaven... Happy Birthday! 
June 28, 2020
June 28, 2020
Happy Birthday, Mom. We would celebrate your birthday every year. Your favorite flowers were roses and June was always a sign of summer. Life hasn't been the same without you.  I miss you and I love you so much. 
February 17, 2020
February 17, 2020
Tita Nena is the sister of my mother. Though I hardly know her, I can only remember the fond and lovely memories I had with her when I met her so many decades ago. That was when she, together with her husband and chiildren Peter and Maria came here to the Philippines for a short visit. Peter and Maria was very young then and I was still in college. I'm sure Peter and Maria would not even remember. I drove them around. I was hoping I could see her again but maybe that was our destiny. I will only cherish the good words about tita Nena from my mother Paz what I learned about her. Thank you tita for the memories and for being one of your nephews as you are now at peace with the Lord in His loving embrace.
February 16, 2020
February 16, 2020
I had a nice time visiting my mother's resting place yesterday. It was one year since her passing. When I went to say my prayers in front of her, I noticed that someone had placed [orange] roses near her niche. It was welcoming. I remembered that my mother always had a very devoted group of friends. After sharing a prayer, I left and came back with more, fresher roses [lilac colored]. Roses were her favorite. She strongly remains in my life and thoughts but it has been a long year for me without her. It was nice seeing you again, mom.
February 15, 2020
February 15, 2020
It's been one year since my mother's passing and life, of course, marches on.  It was a very cold day in New York City on February 15th of last year. The temperature was in the teens and the wind was cutting through my coat as I walked up to rehabilitation center to collect my mother's things. I'm in Yokohama today where it's 50 degrees and raining. That's a distance of 6800 miles and 365 days, which makes it seem like a long time ago and far, far away. What's closer, though, and ever present in my mind is the image of my mother's smile when I would walk into a room. The position of her head and look in her eye when she would tell me something serious....or something funny. Memories are never too far away. They are always right by my side. I miss you, mom.
June 28, 2019
June 28, 2019
Last Tuesday was my mother's birthday. It's the first time I couldn't celebrate it with her.  I had started to think about what I was going to get her for it.  I have been thinking about her all month. I went to the NY Botanical Gardens to see the Rose Garden. The rose garden had over 700 varieties of roses. I thought of her all the way home. Roses were her favorite flowers. She would spend hours a day in her garden at home cultivating her roses.
April 4, 2019
April 4, 2019
To the Gundy Family and friends of Ate Nena ,
My deepest condolence to the whole family . Ate Nena as she is fondly called had left us memories to cherish . She is always joyful to accept visitors and generous in her giving to the church . God bless you and may Ate Nena rest in peace ! From the Starr's in Florida formerly in NY , Thanks for the memories ! From Elena Mateo Starr
March 5, 2019
March 5, 2019
Rest In Peace Aunt Nena. You are loved and will be very missed. ❤️
March 3, 2019
March 3, 2019
One of the nicest Ladioray that I have met,
Never thought that was the last time I’ll see you... I was even telling my Dad that she looks stronger him before he passed away... You and Dad may have a wonderful trip to Heaven... I’ll see you guys on the next episode...
February 27, 2019
February 27, 2019
Rest in peace, Tita Nen. I will miss you. Until we meet again. I love you
February 26, 2019
February 26, 2019
Keeping your family in our thoughts. May Guillermina rest in peace.
February 25, 2019
February 25, 2019
Being with Nena was always a Happy Celebration and there was never a dull moment. The moments we spent together were memories I will fondly cherish and remember forever. She would always ask me to see her and share the photos I took during my travel. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the places in photos was truly amazing! She was a delight to be with. She loved to be with friends and as she said: "friends are precious gifts." I will forever be thankful for her gift of friendship and for sharing with me her strong faith.

Leave a Tribute

Light a Candle
Lay a Flower
Leave a Note
 
Recent Tributes
February 17
February 17
Dear Mom,
I continue to feel your presence, my beautiful mother. I thought about you, Peter, and Dad and missed you very much. Please continue to watch over me and everyone else. I appreciate it. 

Forever your loving daughter, Maria
November 2, 2023
November 2, 2023
Thinking of you on All Souls Day. I hope Peter has found you and you are together. Merciful Father, hear our prayer and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that my departed family members will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
December 25, 2022
December 25, 2022
Dearest Mother,
Wishing you love, hope, joy, and peace on Christmas.  Feeling your presence today fills my heart with the loving memories of when we celebrated the holiday together. It was so beautiful each year. Merriest Christmas to my angel in heaven. I love you.


Recent stories

Birthdays

June 28, 2022
Today is one of the acknowledged dates of my mother's birthday.  At one point when she was young, her family fled their home in Manila for the countryside during the Japanese occupation.  Important documents, jewelry, and other cherished things were buried in the backyard area in mason jars, including my mother's birth certificate.  When she and her family returned to Manila, not all jars were recovered and my mother's birth certificate was lost.  She eventually had her documents recreated, but the birth date was filled in from memory.  Evidently, with eight other siblings, no one in her family could agree on the exact day of her birth.  What most remembered is that she was was born in late June, and it was thus that June 26th and June 28th became variously cited as my mother's birthday.  Even after she came to the US, these two different dates were reflected on her naturalization certificate, passport, and driver's license. 

I always thought it odd, even funny, that no one in her family could agree on when my mother was born.  For my mother is was never a big deal.  She just liked to be recognized on at least one of those days.

Happy birthday, mom.  I love you. 


Forgiveness

February 27, 2019

She taught me about forgiveness. One day I asked her if she was still angry about the people who had wronged her in her lifetime, if she still carried hatred, or if she was still upset about the things that she couldn't change. She told me "no." When I asked her why, she simply said, "because I forgave them." Forgiveness is one of the hardest things in life, and it is difficult to extend to those who don't deem deserving. But she taught me that the concept of forgiveness isn't necessarily about the people who wronged you, but about yourself. She told me you shouldn't forgive for them, you should forgive for yourself. She taught me that if you never find it in your heart to be forgiving, then you will never be free. Nena was free because her heart was capable of finding forgiveness even in the darkest of times. And that is why she was one of the strongest women I knew. 

Invite others to Guillermina's website:

Invite by email

Post to your timeline