Marcialito Narvaez Abundo

Marcialito Narvaez Abundo, 70, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2024. He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Maria Lourdes Abundo, and their children: Teresa Abundo Mathewson and her husband, Joseph Mathewson; and Michael Benjamin Abundo, as well as his granddaughter Aurora Mathewson.

He will be greatly missed by his brothers and sisters in law, nieces and nephews, cousins, and countless precious friends made throughout his life.

Marcialito, better known as ‘Lito’, was born on July 22, 1954 in Quezon City, Philippines. His beloved mother, Aurora’s (his granddaughters namesake) work with the Philippine Foreign Service took them to Kobe, Japan when he was just six years old and it was where he lived till his senior year of high school. Lito would go on to follow in his mother’s footsteps and join the Philippine Foreign Service as a diplomat. His first assignment in 1982 would end up being his last. Lito was assigned to the embassy in Washington DC, the place he would call home for the remainder of his life.

Lito was many things in life, a basketball coach, a golfer, avid traveler, accomplished foodie, an amateur comedian, professional speech giver, occasional life guard but the two most important roles he cherished in life were that of grandfather and father. His children and grandchild were the soul of his life and his wife was his heart.

He will always be remembered for his generous heart, loving nature, and passion for knowledge. He will stay in our hearts always.

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.