Patricia Vicman Aceberos' Obituary
Patricia Vicman Aceberos passed on April 27, 2023, at Mercy Hospital, in Merced, California surrounded by the precious family she cared for all her life. Born September 27, 1951, in Pasay City, Philippines, to Leonarda Vicman and Emanuel Vicman, Patricia found her life’s purpose early caring for her younger siblings. Her father’s service in the US Military in WW2 earned the family American citizenship and their immigration journey began in earnest when Patricia was 46. Patricia married Nolasco Aceberos in 1986 and the family moved to Las Pinas, Philippines.
Together, Patricia and Nolasco welcomed four vivacious children into the world-- Rachel Aceberos (1987), Clarice Aceberos Magno(1989), Marvin Aceberos(1990), and Mark Aceberos(1992). In pursuit of the American dream, Pat supported her four children with fervor, sewing their clothes and cooking the family elaborate Filipino meals. Feeding her family and community brought her immense joy, and she ensured no one left her house wanting.
Pat pursued new opportunities to better support her family, starting first in restaurant kitchens and eventually pursuing a career in care work. She knew the value of hard work and believed strongly in equal rights. She was a strong and powerful advocate for the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (AB241), a law that extends overtime pay rights to home-based care workers. She organized with Filipino Advocates for Justice and spoke out about the unfair working conditions care workers went through. She empowered other care and domestic workers by sharing her stories and conditions she faced as a care worker and encouraged others to share their stories too. She collaborated with the California Domestic Worker Coalition and other domestic and care workers to develop the bill, addressing their demands for fair working conditions and ensuring that the needs of all care and domestic workers were met. She spoke up during peaceful demonstrations and demanded our lawmakers to make the essential bill into a law, further establishing herself as the caregiver-in-chief of the Aceberos family.
She loved chismis (gossiping) with her sisters, Christmas decorating, learning new Filipino recipes, and spending time with her children. They, in turn, showered her with laughter and attention, often through jokes and a bit of grief. She took it all in stride, and correctly identified their mababaw kaligayahan or ‘shallow happiness’ (easily made happy or satisfied) every time they made fun. She is survived by siblings Rolando Vicman, Dorothy Sambrano, Elizabeth Axalan, Joseph Vicman, Katherine Acedo, and. Vivian Caimol. She is preceded in the afterlife by siblings Arnold Vicman, Emmanuel Vicman, Evelyn Vicman, Norman Vicman and Thomas Vicman.
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