Louise Balugo's Obituary
Louise BalugoAugust 13, 1929 – March 10, 2018Mary Louise Lopez was born in Santa Monica, California. Mom would talk about great memories growing up and going to “P.O.P.”, Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica. I can remember on two family trips to southern California, mom wanting to visit her old elementary school, St. Anne’s Catholic School. Her childhood was vivid with memories. One story I remember her telling was the “no meat Friday’s” at St. Anne’s and how the nuns would confiscate your meat sandwich and then go eat it while you went to class. I haven’t checked the validity of that story yet. Mom would always talk about the fun times playing sports at St. Anne’s. Mom loved sports and later showed her athletic abilities by playing professional softball as a pitcher for an Oakland softball team in the late 1940’s.Mom and dad got married and in 1951, then I was born. Our humble home on 86th Avenue in East Oakland was a great place to grow up. Mom always was in the kitchen preparing healthy, nutritious, and aesthetically pleasing meals. Mom could cook. Mom was proud of her stainless-steel pots and pans and knew how to use them…from frying up the little smelt fish we would catch at Lake Merrit in Oakland, to whipping up delectable casseroles. Rice seemed to be the usual side dish for most dinners as mom would always honor dad’s Filipino side of our family.The home away from home… was church. The 55th Ave. Seventh-Day-Adventist Church became not only a place of worship on Sabbath, but a weekly place for prayer meeting and Pathfinders. Yes, mom and dad dedicated their free time, “ministry”, as I like to view it, to developing young people’s character and their spiritual walk with the Lord. Pathfinders was a big part of growing up. Trips to pathfinder fairs, marching, retreats to Pine Crest, rides in the Chrysler New Yorker to Fort Brag to ride the “skunk train” were some of the memories etched in my mind. Many young people, I’m sure, have fond memories of mom and dad and how they had contributed to their lives.My brother, Deeno, came onto the scene in 1961, and we moved to 3572 East Ave, Hayward, California, where mom and dad had built a beautiful home on one and half acres. Not only was our new home a great place for fun with the horses, go- karts, and beautiful view of the whole bay area, mom and dad continued their passion of “ministry” through evangelistic-type meetings at the house. The living room was converted many times to a worship place, where friends like Albert Cruz, Joe Pena, and Abraham Michael, would lead out in singing, bible study and testimony time. Friends like Winnie Klein would come and play the grand piano or Hammond organ we had in the living room as we fellowshipped together. The house always had extra folding chairs, hymnals, and bibles for these special occasions.As mom and dad desired to walk closer to Jesus, subtle changes began to take place around the Hayward home. The once Christmas holiday which included presents for all family members, changed to finding a needy local family and providing them with a generous food basket. The once Halloween holiday, which included “trick or treat” candy and scary music played from the Hammond organ to scare children as they came to the front door, became a non-existent holiday, to not honor the satanic origin. And the Easter celebration of egg hunting and coloring was replaced with celebrating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for each one of us. Mom and dad desired to make a statement…to allow Christ to reign supreme in our home.One of mom’s favorite text says, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”. Matthew 24:44. I believe the legacy that both mom and dad desired to leave for each one of us kids and grandchildren was for each one of us to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior and to be ready for His soon return. I know each night mom would pray that she would be ready to go home with Jesus when He returned. I know her prayer will be answered.Lovingly written by: Federico ‘Rico’ Balugo
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