Khory Madrona Suarez

Khory Madrona Suarez, age 68, passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family on Monday, April 20, 2020 at Keck Hospital of USC. She was born on May 18, 1951 to Carlos Mendevil Madrona and Felisa Caldejon Posadas in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines. She finished her Associate Degree at Jose Rizal University, and while studying, worked as an administrative assistant at Caritas Manila and was an interpreter for the hearing impaired. Later, she worked at Noritake Philippines where she met her future husband.
She married David Carag Suarez on July 30, 1977, and they have two children Warren and Kim.
In the fall of 1984, with a toddler and a young child in tow, she left her family and friends to join her husband in the United States--Southern California to be exact—with the goal of providing greater opportunities for their children, like so many immigrants at that time. As a Filipina woman, Khory knew she would have to climb higher and harder than her peers for an opportunity in her new country. Yet she was a fast learner, a quick thinker, and highly affable, eventually landing various positions and juggling both office management and sales. For her personality, experience, and skills, Khory was highly sought after and a valuable asset for both her employers and clients. After 33 solid years, she retired as a sales specialist at Essentra Components Inc. in April 2018.
A person after her own carpenter father's heart, Khory enjoyed working with her hands, especially when it came to DIY home projects. Oftentimes, you would find her making sketches and later building something like a small bookshelf or shoe rack. She was also self-taught. She learned Photoshop and various applications on her own. Using her new skills, she would spend hours cleaning up photos and creating digital scrapbooks. As such, she was an enthusiastic storyteller, often recounting vivid and endearing memories from her childhood. Like her mother, she enjoyed cooking for her family. Every time her daughter would visit from the East Coast, Khory cleared a whole day to make all of Kim's favorite Filipino foods. She supported her son's love of basketball and the Lakers, watched games with him, and mourned when his hero Kobe Bryant tragically died in an accident. With her husband, she enjoyed traveling, gardening, fishing, and taking local day trips. A happy people person, she loved to entertain and host family and friends and welcomed guests with her warm smile and infectious laugh, and of course with an abundance of home-cooked hearty meals. A big sister and matriarch, she kept a steady watch over her beloved siblings and their families thousands of miles away in the Philippines. But the role she cherished most was that of grandmother. She loved her granddaughter June with a fervor unmatched and established an unbreakable bond that June will feel for the rest of her life.
She leaves behind and will be forever missed and loved by husband David, son Warren, daughter Kim, granddaughter June Elise, daughter-in-law Jaimie, sisters Rita and Mona, and brother Fred.