For Noli: A Heart for Others, A Heart for God

This is the eulogy I wrote for my husband, now featured in the September 2026 issue of White Butterfly | Gifts and Graces.

I am grateful that his story, and a small part of our journey, can be shared with others.

When I was a young adult dreaming of the perfect husband, St. Joseph became my source of inspiration. Knowing that he was the epitome of a faithful husband to Mary and a loving father to Jesus, I prayed to meet a Godly future husband.

And then I met Noli. A missionary.

It was not love at first sight, but somehow, I knew in my heart that there was something special about him.

Our first real connection was during a Youth for Christ International Leaders Conference in Bacolod. While waiting for our ride back to Manila, he sat beside me and asked to look at my phone, which, back then, was a Nokia 5110. He asked, “Nandiyan na ba yung number ko?” That broke the ice, and we talked non-stop for hours.

From that moment on, I felt a strong connection with him.

When he asked me to be his girlfriend, he wanted to propose inside the church. But we had to go out because there was an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. So, we ended up in the nearby Burger King.

When he wanted to ask for my hand in marriage, he proposed on his 26th birthday—so I would not say “no.”

My decision to love and accept Noli is the best decision I ever made in my life.

He was my “Joseph”—deeply obedient to God’s call, a protective guardian to his family, selfless, and humble.

But accepting Noli as my lifetime partner also meant accepting that he would never be mine alone. I would have to share him with people from all parts of the world because of his mission. God would always be his top priority, no matter what.

As a missionary, he vowed to live simply. So sometimes, he would ask me, “Okay lang ba na missionary ang husband mo?” And I would always say, “Yes. I support your calling, and I will be here for you.”

We have been together for 26 years – three years as my boyfriend, one year as my fiancé, and 22 years as my husband.

And even though, for much of those years, I had to share him with others, God gave me his last six months… six months that were all mine, to care for him as his wife.

I held his hand through every appointment, every treatment, every moment of hope, and every tear. Our vows of “in sickness and in health” became more than words. They became our daily journey.

It was an honor to stand beside Noli, to care for him, and to love him through it all.

Though my heart is broken because I had to let him go, I find comfort in knowing that his battle is over. No more pain. No more suffering. Only perfect peace in God’s loving embrace.

Even in his dying moments, he was still thinking of our comfort. But this time, I wanted to be the wife he needed. I wanted to serve him in his final moments.

During the last six hours of his life, after the doctors told me that Noli’s condition was now in God’s hands, I sat beside him, holding his hands, with our children and loved ones nearby.

We all whispered our messages of love and said our goodbyes.

But I kept assuring him, “I am here. I will not leave you. You will never be alone in your final journey.”

I prayed the Litany in Honor of St. Joseph for the dying. We played the song “Here I Am, Lord.” And right after the last note, he took one deep breath and closed his eyes, as if he were simply falling asleep.

It was a peaceful death.

During the first day of his wake, I dreamt of St. Joseph, and I was led to bring the image of St. Joseph to his funeral. It was placed on an altar table right in front of Noli’s coffin.

So, even in the end, St. Joseph continued to be Noli’s guide.

Perhaps it is God’s will that Noli’s final service as a missionary is MISSIO AMARE, which means “Mission to Love.”

It is the perfect ending to his missionary life here on earth because all he ever really wanted was to love others as much as God loves him.

Since the first time he found out about his condition, his heart was always found to be strong. Doctors would often say, “There is nothing wrong with his heart.”

Before he passed, the last thing the doctors did was check his heart.

Despite the poor prognosis, the infection spreading to his vital organs, and the cancer aggressively affecting his overall condition, they confirmed that his heart was strong. It was the only organ unaffected and still fighting.

That was Noli.

He had a big heart… for God, for his family, and for his community.

His heart kept fighting until the very end.

I recently celebrated my 50th birthday, and I felt so blessed that Noli was still with me then.

Half of my life has always been Noli and Sam.

Now, I cannot imagine Sam without Noli.

But I know that the love we shared will always remain.

Thank you for the perfect moments, Hon.

Thank you for choosing me, for loving me, for allowing me to walk beside you, and for letting me be your wife through all these years.

We love you very much.

May you rest in peace in God’s loving embrace.