Family
My Parents and Siblings
My parents Atty. Jose Ma. Lopez Santos and Angelita Quintana Concepcion Santos came from middle class families and were born just before the second World War. My Mom's parents and most of her siblings were killed during the bombing of Manila.
They experienced the tragedy and hardship brought by the war. Despite all the seemingly insurmountable challenges and trials in life, including my Dad getting paralyzed because of a pool accident when he was teaching us how to swim, both persisted to thrive and flourish in raising their five children. We were blessed to learn the value of faith, fortitude, and hard work through our parents' admirable exemplary lives.
This is our last picture together as one family taken during their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2011. I am the "Ate" of my siblings (from L-R) Bernadette, Patricia, Jose Luis and Jose David.
My brother David was called back to Heaven in 2013 and my Dad in 2014.
My Husband
Rene and I met at Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning Quezon City in 1979 when we both joined the summer theater workshop. We graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. We started dating in 1980 while in College and got married in 1984. I started teaching and eventually joined the broadcasting industry while he went to medical school and graduated Valedictorian of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine Class of 1990. He took his residency training in General Surgery at the UP-PGH and University of Minnesota, where he also completed his Fellowship. We relocated to the United States in 2001. After his training, Rene was employed as Staff General Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California until he availed early retirement in 2022.
He now works part time as Locum Tenens General Surgeon (Traveling Doctor) in different states in the U.S. so we can travel more and enjoy life to the fullest.
Our Children and Grandchildren
Rene and I have been blessed with four children. They were all born in the Philippines but were in different stages in life when we relocated to the United States. Christopher just graduated from high school while Christine was still in middle school, Katrina was just 5 while the youngest Lorenzo was just turning four. We are so grateful to God that all of them have grown up to be good people, have learned the value of hard work, the dignity of labor and earning one's keep. Christopher is now an immigration attorney in California. Christine is a licensed therapist/psychologist in Missouri. Katrina is a top office manager of a financial institution in San Francisco while Lorenzo is building his career in Computer Science/Video Game Design in the Pacific Northwest. Rene and I are now "empty nesters" and are proud Lolo and Lola to Azshara and Thorin, kids of Christine.