Mario Jerecia Guihama

Mario Jerecia Guihama, 89, passed peacefully away at home, surrounded by his family, on April 19, 2021 after a long-fought battle with Alzheimer’s. He fought this insidious disease for several years, but remained a loving and gentle-natured father, grandfather/Lolo, and husband to the end. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Herminia (Ming) Jarillo Guihama; daughters Joy, Jocelyn and Josephine; sons-in-law David and Paul; and four grandchildren, Ava, Dominic, Keis and Chelsea.

Born on July 22, 1931 in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines, Mario was the youngest child of Santiago and Eleuteria Guihama. He was raised with the children of his older four siblings, Frederico, Prudencio, Eugenia and Consuela, so it seemed like he had even more brothers and sisters in the family. He survived the WWII Japanese occupation, during which his birth year was changed to 1932. Mario was accepted into the University of San Agustin in Iloilo but transferred to the University of the East in Manila in order to serve as the Manila contact for his older brother Prudencio’s pig farming business. Later, while working for a shipping company, he ran into former high school classmate, Ming Jarillo, who was trying to travel home, by boat, to Iloilo. The ship manifest was full, but Mario managed to get her a ticket. Their courtship began soon after, and they eventually married on December 8, 1963 and started their life together in Manila. After having two young daughters, Joy and Jocelyn, the family emigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles, where their youngest, Josephine, was later born. Though he enjoyed westerns and war movies, Mario was also a romantic and named his three daughters as a remembrance of the ship where he ran into Ming, the Don Julio.

Mario loved the color yellow, Perry Como music, the Lakers, and gardening, but what he loved above all was his family. When his memory was failing him, he still held onto the names of his children and grandchildren, and often told the stories of winning gardening awards, helping with his brother’s business, and convincing Ming to take the risk and move to America to give their children a better life.

Mario and his young family were the first in his large, extended family to settle in America. He worked hard at various Los Angeles-based companies, including many years at Kaiser, to support his family. They maintained a home, nicknamed Hotel California, that warmly welcomed over the years many friends and family who needed a place to stay after arriving in the United States. Mario was always kind, open-hearted and generous to all who passed through their front door.

A funeral mass and graveside service welcoming friends and family will be held on June 26 at 12:30 - 2:30 pm at the Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary (11160 Stranwood Ave., Mission Hills, CA 91345). A reception, in celebration of Mario’s life, will immediately follow.