Mrs. Myrna Ambal Cuevas

Myrna Ambal Cuevas, passed away from cancer of the bile duct on March 29, 2009. She was 68 and passed away in the company of her family. Myrna was born on December 7, 1940 in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines to Miguel and Virginia Ambal. She was the fifth out of nine children. Myrna’s father, Miguel Ambal, was a dentist, officer in the military and served two terms as mayor of San Jose. Her mother, Virginia Ambal, was a teacher at the local elementary school. Myrna attended elementary and high school in San Jose. She obtained a B.S. in Pharmacy from Centro Escolar University in Manila in 1962. She worked at the Bureau of Printing after her graduation. Myrna met Loreto Cuevas (who lived in the nearby town of Malvar) in 1963. Loreto worked as a civil engineer in Saudi Arabia at the time so their courtship was primarily through letters. During a Christmas holiday visit in 1964 Loreto proposed to Myrna and they were married within two weeks on January 2, 1965. Monette, their first child, was born on July 18, 1966 and Jonathan was born on September 4, 1967. The Cuevas family relocated several times: to Guam in 1968, to Illinois in 1974, and finally to Los Angeles, California in 1977. Myrna worked as a Pharmacy Technician and then as a Pharmacist in Guam. In Los Angeles, she worked as a Pharmacy Technician at the Good Samaritan Hospital for several years before transferring to Metropolitan State Hospital, from which she retired in 2003. Myrna was devoted to her Catholic faith, prayed the Rosary every night and was active in her Rosary group. Pastimes included playing mahjong and indulging in three-card poker, Blackjack and the slot machines in Las Vegas and the local California casinos. To help control her diabetes she joined the women’s exercise boutique, Curves, where her winsome personality made her some new friends with a wonderful group of ladies. Myrna belonged to a large but very tight knit family. She not only kept in constant touch with her siblings but also with her cousins, uncles and aunts. Her family and friends were very important to her. She believed this is what made her life rich and fulfilling. She always had a positive attitude and was sincere in her good intentions for others. Because of this she was well loved and will be deeply missed. Myrna is survived by her husband Loreto, daughter Monette and husband Andy Remedios, son Jonathan and wife Cristine Lorca-Cuevas, and grandson Joshua. Myrna’s siblings are Dr. Miguel Ambal, Jr. and wife Irene, Romeo Ambal (deceased) and wife Alice, Belma and husband Dr. Antonio de la Cruz, Dr. Cesar Ambal and wife Dr. Carmencita, Dr. Violeta and husband Dr. Juanito Singson, Roberto Ambal and his wife Nenita, Emma and husband Roger Tolentino, Virgilio Ambal and his wife Carmelita.