Obituary of Cristina P. Receno

Cristina Punsal Receno was born in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, Philippines on December 16th, 1926  to Dionisio Punsal and Tomasa DeGuzman. She was the youngest of six among her siblings Nestor, Eugenio, Feliciano, Milagros, and Jose. The family lived in the town center, but had a farm in the country. Some of her fondest childhood memories were in their rice field during the harvesting season and being in the church choir with her cousins and friends. Her father served as town mayor for a couple of years before moving his family to Manila. During the Second World War, Cristina attended Arellano High School and then Far Eastern University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in education.

In 1952, Cristina met the father of her six children, the late Dr. Amado Receno, from Lipa City, Batangas, after being treated by him for a toothache while on vacation in Guinayangan, Quezon. She married Amado the following year and gave birth to their first born, Angel. Cristina and Amado raised their children at their home in Sampaloc, Manila while she worked as a high school teacher, and Amado as a dentist with the Manila Health Department and in his private dental practice.

A devoted wife and mother, Cristina was also a career woman who advocated for education. She was proud of her achievements teaching high school journalism and as adviser of the school paper at Teodoro Alonzo High School and Arellano High School in Manila, publishing 4-5 issues during the school year. Her children still have memories of her working at home with newspaper clippings covering the dining table. During this time, Cristina traveled the Philippines with her students annually to compete at the National Secondary Schools Press Conferences, bringing home several awards.

At home, Cristina also took great pride in her role as wife and mother. She was known for the meticulous way she cleaned and kept her home, and the caring ways she tended to her husband. Through her many sacrifices, she was able to continue to build her career in teaching and at the same time help her husband to support and provide for their growing family. Being an educator, she guided and encouraged her children to be achievers and excel in school. They were close in age, with two or three attending college at the same time, which became financially challenging for her and Amado, but with both their sacrifices, all six children successfully graduated college.

In the late 70’s, Cristina found great fulfillment in volunteering at her church, Sagrada Familia Chapel in her parish in Manila. She and Amado were both founding members and officers of the Kapisanang Sagrada Familia Inc., and for many years, were actively involved in the organization’s work to support the needs of the chapel and its activities and projects for the community. It was here where they found friendship with couples that lasted their lifetimes. After their retirement in the 1990s, Cristina and Amado traveled frequently to visit their children in New York and California. Cristina’s husband Amado died in 1995 after a long battle with cancer. A few years after her husband’s death, Cristina permanently resided in the United States, first with her daughter Teresita, and later with Lourdes. A strong and independent woman, she continued to travel to the Philippines by herself almost every year well into her early 80’s to spend time with her other children and their families and her friends. In the U.S. she enjoyed being a grandmother to her younger grandchildren, cooking her favorite Filipino dishes for them and telling them stories of her young self in the Philippines. She found new friends with whom she shared experiences in her golden years. She was “Mama Cristy” to younger friends in a prayer group which she attended with her daughter Tess and son-in-law Ladis.

Cristina surrendered everything to the will of God, and thanked him daily for the long life He had given her, and for granting her a sound mind and body in spite of her age. She continued to live her life each day in His hands. 

Cristina is survived by her 6 children Angel (and wife Obie), Amado Jr. (and wife Carmela), Maria Teresita (and husband Ladis), Noel (and wife Melinda), Lourdes (and husband Mike), Raymund (and wife Jennie), 16 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.