Dr. Francisco Simpao Juco

Francisco Juco Obituary

Dr. Francisco Simpao Juco, age 75, of Peoria, died Monday, April 19, 2004, at Bayfront Medical Trauma Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Born August 1, 1928, in Guagua, Panpanga, Philippines to Pedro and Theodora Simpao Juco. He married Lenore Joan Nitti in 1959 in Chicago, IL. She survives of Peoria. Also surviving are three daughters, Cynthia (Paul) Scrudato of New York City, Jennifer (James) Hickey of Winfield, IL, Elizabeth (Ralph) DeRose of New Market, Maryland; 10 grandchildren; one brother, Angocillo Juco of the Philippines; four sisters, Lillian Zablan of the Philippines, Encarnacion Munoz of Villa Park, IL, Anita Casimiro of Villa Park, IL, Carmelita Fernandez of Appleton, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Santo Thomas Medical School in Malina, Philippines and came to the United States in 1955. Dr. Juco was in private practice as a surgeon specializing in Cardio Vascular, Thoracic and general surgery in Peoria, IL from 1964 to 1998. He was affiliated with OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Methodist Medical Center and Proctor Hospital. Since his retirement in 1998, Dr. Juco spent five months of every year in the Philippines volunteering his surgical services at the local hospital in the village of Guagua where he grew up. A memorial is being erected there in his honor. He was a member of The American Board of Abdominal Surgeons, retired member of the Peoria and Illinois State Medical Societies. He also was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church where a funeral mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday with Franciscan Fathers officiating. Visitation 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Wright & Salmon Mortuary with recitation of the rosary at 7:30 p.m. Additional visitation one hour before services at the church. Cremation rites will be accorded. Burial of ashes will be in the Philippines. Memorials to Auditory Verbal International for Children with Hearing Impairment, 2121 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 402, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

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Published by Chicago Tribune on Apr. 22, 2004.

Memories and Condolences
for Francisco Juco

6 Entries

Ada Rahn, M.D.

April 26, 2004

Friend of Maelen Pantano, M.D.

Johnny and Nicia Casimiro

April 24, 2004

To Ating Len, family and relatives,

In ways big and small,

your loved one's life

changed our world

and left it a better place

and touched too many hearts

to ever be forgotten

May you find comfort in knowing how many people share your sadness...

Our hearts goes out to yours,

Oscar Bandilla

April 23, 2004

From the Bandilla Family of San Antonio Guagua Pampanga, we would like to give our deepest symphaty. We will all miss Kong Fransing.

Joyce

April 23, 2004

Uncle Frank was like a second father to all of us, his nephews and nieces.

He cared about all of us and about things that were important to us.

He knew everyone's successes and failures, and he somehow always knew what to say when things weren't going so well.

Every time anyone in the family from the Aunts, to the grand kids needed some advice, they all seem to end up asking Uncle Frank.

When there were disagreements, it was Uncle Frank that was the voice of reason.

When there were celebrations or family gatherings, it was always a treat when Uncle Frank and Aunt Len could come.

He wanted us all to be successful like him, that he sent a couple of our cousins to college. They are now nurses.

In fact, most of us wanted to be doctors when we were kids just so we can be just like Uncle Frank. A couple succeeded.

He set the example for all of us to follow and raised the bar when it came to generosity.

He really was a generous man in so many ways.

He not only gave to the church, and the poor. He also gave so much of himself when he operated on hundreds of poor people in the Philippines, even when he was not feeling well. Everyone knew that he never expected anything or asked for anything in return.

And when Uncle Frank left us, I'm sure most of us wondered what will we do without him overseeing the family?

That day, the extended Juco family not only lost our Patriarch, the world also lost a great man.

However, the thought that comforts me is that I know he is the one person that was well prepared to go to heaven.

We will miss Uncle Frank dearly.

We pray that God gives Aunt Len and our cousins extra attention and care during these days of mourning.

Jhonard Juco

April 22, 2004

Aunt Len & family,

May you find comfort in GOD's words and in the knowledge that other sympatize with you in your loss.

I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.

John 14:18

Edwin Zablan

April 22, 2004

God looked around his garden,

And He found an empty place.

He then looked down upon this Earth,

And saw your tired face.

He put his arms around you,

And lifted you to rest.

God's garden must be beautiful,

He always takes the best.

He knew you were suffering.

He knew you were in pain.

He knew that you would never,

Get well on Earth again.

He saw that the road was getting rough,

And the hills were hard to climb,

So He closed your weary eyelids

And whispered, "Peace by Thine."

It broke our hearts to lose you,

But you didn't go alone.

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home.