Mency Palenzuela Carbillon's Obituary
Mency Palenzuela Carbillon, 64, a mother of four, passed away at home peacefully, at 1 am on Wednesday, November 20th, 2025, surrounded by her family.
Mency was born on August 7th, 1961, eldest of five, to Myrna Palenzuela and the late Perfecto Palenzuela. Mency grew up in Paco, Laguna in the Philippines, a city once known for its poverty. Though poor, she grew up with a positive mind, a fighting spirit and a loving heart.
From a young age, Mency did all she could to help her parents raise her sisters. It was never asked of her, but she stepped up because that is how she loves – giving unconditionally. She shared the responsibilities of a Mother despite being a child herself. She roamed the streets selling vegetables with her loud voice. She learned to mend clothes to add more to the table. Everything within her capabilities she did just to help. Despite sacrificing her childhood to labor, Mency never lost her spirit.
Mency was an intelligent soul. Although that did not show until much later on. Mency has always been a curious child, and it was very evident when she would insert small balls of paper in her ear and her parents would get called to school by teachers deeply concerned of her grades because she spends the whole day looking outside the window daydreaming. That was the case until she reached third grade and a switch flipped on. She started taking academics more seriously, then honors came and flooded in. She always strived for full marks, which is why she always took the top of her class.
Mency wanted to be an engineer, but because the university to take Engineering was about an hour's commute, she did not have the means to make travel possible, so she settled for what was available, for what was possible. So she settled on Agriculture as her major. She landed her first job, far from her major and more so from her family. Despite living alone in a different region, she always sent her family her entire paycheck, barely leaving anything for herself. And about a year later, she moved back home, started her teaching career and became her town's Masarawag High School’s first ever principal, unanimously voted by teachers that far exceeds her age.
Years of marriage and children followed as Mency continued to further her education, getting a Master’s degree in Education and eventually, a Doctor’s degree in Education Management. She became a principal to several more schools, San Vicente National High School, Caguiba High School and Bañadero High School, each time leaving a footprint – whether it be improving the teaching program, developing an outreach program or creating a school hymn. Whichever school she handled, she left a gift. Whichever school she transferred to, she guided the teachers. Wherever she went, she touched lives. She rebuilt schools, fed students who had none, helped struggling families, and inspired those who came from nothing. She gave hope to everyone she met..
At her peak of her career, about to become a district superintendent, Mency gave it all up for her children. Everything she had built for 25 years, stone by stone, she took down, to move to the USA to give her children better opportunities. She started again from square one with her family and $500 in her wallet. The future was uncertain but she showed no fear for she was willing to do anything for her family. Mency always found light when there was no way.
Then the year 2022 came, August, after her birthday and her sickness was uncovered – Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, the silent killer. Symptoms remain hidden until much later on, until its last stage. And months prior, Mency hid her pain from her family to not cause worry. The news of her cancer devastated many but she did not back from the battle.
For 3 long years, Mency fought the battle of chemotherapy. And within those three years, she withstood diabetes, atrial fibrillation, persisting pneumonia, cerebral palsy, hemorrhagic stroke and cardiac arrest. She was a regular at the hospital, always going in and out, sometimes staying for weeks. Despite these, Mency did not lose her shine. She lost her hair, her strength, but never her shine. Until the end, having survived three long years of suffering, until she drew her last breath, Mency remained hopeful, faithful, and full of love.
Mency is survived by her husband, Rosini; her children, Zeid, Quennie, Julius and Therese; her mother, Myrna; her sisters, Analiza, Rosana, Irma and Angeline; her daughter-in-law, Lylle; her son-in-law, Karl; her sisters-in-law, Shelly, Elen, Nieve, Jane and Isabel; her aunt, Armie; and her grandchildren, Khalia and Caleb. She was preceded in death by her father, Perfecto, father-in-law, Fernando, and mother-in-law, Remedios.
A memorial viewing for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, from 12 pm to 4 pm at 158 Catoctin Circle SE, Leesburg, VA 20175.
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