In Loving Memory of Jeddah Abaquin Mariano

March 13, 1942 – August 16, 2026

Jeddah Abaquin Mariano, lovingly known simply as “Jeddah,” passed away peacefully on August 16, 2026, in Anaheim, California, at the age of 84. She was born on March 13, 1942, in Pagsanjan, Laguna, Philippines, and lived a life defined by compassion, generosity, perseverance, and unconditional love.

Jeddah was a proud Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate and Registered Nurse, dedicating more than 45 years of her life to the nursing profession. Nursing was more than a career to her—it was a calling. She devoted herself to caring for others, helping patients through some of their most vulnerable moments, and bringing comfort and dignity to those entrusted to her care.

Behind the nurse was a woman whose heart extended far beyond the hospital.

Jeddah never forgot where she came from. Having grown up in poverty in the Philippines, she understood firsthand what it meant to go without. Those experiences shaped the generous woman she became. She made it her life’s mission to ensure that the people she loved would not have to experience the hardships she had known.

She continually thought of her family in the Philippines and found countless ways to help them. Three to four times each year, she would carefully fill and send large Balikbayan boxes filled with school supplies, notebooks, pens, pencils, backpacks, clothing, shoes, canned goods, non-perishable food, and other necessities for family members of all ages. She also regularly sent financial assistance to her brother, nieces, and nephews to help with medications, doctors’ visits, hospital expenses, and medical supplies.

Her generosity was not something she simply talked about—it was something she lived.

Jeddah also had a profound love for animals. She donated to organizations that helped animals in need and opened her home to pets who needed a safe place to call home. She would adopt animals who needed care, feed them, provide them with shelter, and make certain they had food and water. Even stray animals were never invisible to her. If she saw one in need, she would do what she could to help.

Her compassion knew no boundaries.

Jeddah was a woman of faith, having been baptized Protestant, and she carried her faith through a life centered on service, family, and love. She believed in taking care of others and quietly giving what she could to make someone else’s life better.

Jeddah was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Angel Ramiento Mariano, who passed away in 2019; Kuya Alan Abaquin; and Nephew Alden Martinez, along with other beloved family members, friends, and relatives who had gone before her.

She leaves behind her only adult son, Chad-Essex Abaquin Mariano, who was the light of her life and devoted himself to caring for his mother with extraordinary love, especially during her final chapter. She also leaves behind Kimberly Phan, who lovingly cared for Jeddah during the final years of her life. Kimberly made sure Jeddah was cared for with comfort and dignity, providing her with home cooked meals, fresh and clean clothing, freshly changed bed sheets, pillowcases, and blankets, and making sure that the supplies and essential items needed for her daily care were ordered and available.

She also leaves behind extended family, friends, former colleagues, classmates, and countless people whose lives were touched by her kindness and generosity.

A Mother’s Legacy

Jeddah’s greatest legacy cannot be measured by her years as a nurse, the lives she touched through her work, the countless Balikbayan boxes she sent, or the animals she rescued.

Her greatest legacy is love.

She taught through her actions that no matter how difficult life becomes, there is always someone who needs compassion. She showed that success means little unless it can be shared with others. And she demonstrated that the greatest wealth a person can possess is the ability to give love freely and without condition.

To those who knew her, Jeddah was many things: a nurse, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, an animal lover, a provider, and a woman who never stopped caring for others.

But to her son, she was simply Mom.

A Letter From Her Son, Chad-Essex

Mom, you raised me to be a good son, and now a responsible and exceptional man.

Thank you for giving me the gift of life. Thank you for gracing me with your unconditional love and support in all my endeavors. You always gave me 100% genuine love and care, and you always made sure I had everything I needed to succeed in my journey through life.

You believed in me. You supported me. You loved me without conditions. And no matter what life brought my way, I always knew that I had my mother standing beside me.

I miss you every day. I miss being able to hold you, kiss you, and tell you how much I love you.

I wish you all the happiness and peace in your next journey. I hope that when you arrive in Heaven, you are welcomed with open arms by your parents, Dad, your siblings, friends, relatives, and all those who were waiting for you.

I want you to know that I will continue to make you proud.

Everything good you see in me carries a piece of you.

Thank you for being my mother. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for giving me a lifetime of memories that I will carry with me forever.

I love you with all my heart, Mom—always and forever.

Until we meet again.

Forever Loved. Forever Missed. Forever in Our Hearts.

Jeddah Abaquin Mariano

March 13, 1942 – August 16, 2026

Her hands cared for many.

Her heart cared for everyone.

Her greatest gift was her love.

Her greatest legacy is the people she touched.

This was Jeddah.

A mother.

A loving wife.

A devoted nurse.

A compassionate soul.

A giver.

A protector.

A beautiful daughter of the Philippines.

And a woman who loved with her whole heart.