President Ferdinand Marcos Name Amelia Gordon Children Richard Gordon Relations married, widow Residence Olongapo, Philippines | Nationality Filipino Spouse James Leonard Gordon Preceded by Jaime Guevarra Role Richard Gordon's mother | |
Succeeded by Geronimo "Momoy" Lipumano Full Name Amelia Nepomuceno Juico Born September 4, 1919
Castillejos, Zambales, Philippine Islands ( 1919-09-04 ) Political party Independent (1968-1972) Died 2009, Olongapo, Philippines Similar People Richard Gordon, Manuel L Quezon, Fidel V Ramos, Ferdinand Marcos, Sergio Osmena | ||
Philippines in honor and remembrance of madame amelia gordon
Amelia Juico Gordon (née Amelia Nepomuceno Juico; September 4, 1919 - November 19, 2009) was a mayor of Olongapo City and mother of Senator and Red Cross Chairman Richard "Dick" Gordon.
Contents
- Philippines in honor and remembrance of madame amelia gordon
- Early life
- Personal life
- Descendants
- Political life
- Awards
- Death
- Legacy
- References
Early life
Amelia Juico Gordon was born on September 4, 1919 to Juan Juico and María Nepomuceno y Espíritu (August 6, 1889 in Castillejos, Zambales - January 7, 1972 in Makati, Rizal). Due to financial difficulties, she was never able to finish high school.
Personal life
She married James Leonard T.Gordon, Sr., an American immigrant, who became the First Municipal Mayor of Olongapo, Zambales. Amelia Juico-Gordon managed several businesses, and supported her husband with hi career. She had five children, and supported abandoned children of the city. She began taking in abandoned Fil-American children, adopting and raising them as her own, and even giving them her "Juico" last name.
As her husband was walking to the City Hall with people crowding around him, he was shot in the head by an operative of the opposition. She was left to raise her own five children and also her adopted children, on her own.
Descendants
Several of Gordon's relatives became prominent figures in politics.
Political life
She continued her life of service in the private sector, advocating the protection and promotion of the welfare of needy and abandoned children, legally adopting fifty-four children as her own, changing the lives of thousands as the founder of the Olongapo Boys Town and Girls Home, and founding several other civic organizations such as the Olongapo City Civic Action Group (OCAG), the Iba-Olongapo Catholic Women’s League (IOCWL), and the Olongapo City Red Cross (OCRC) where she also served as Chairperson for twenty-eight years. She led and founded many civic groups in Olongapo including the Olongapo City Boy’s and Girls Home, Red Cross Olongapo City Chapter (RCOCC) and the Catholic Women’s League of Zambales (CWLZ). She was the first woman elected city Mayor of Olongapo in 1967.
Awards
She was Former assemblywoman of the 1984 Batasang Pambansa and recipient of The Pearl S. Buck International Woman of The Year Award in 2002, only the second Filipina to receive such, for her accomplishments in her civic and humanitarian endeavor.
Death
She died on November 17, 2009 at the age of nienty due to stroke. She is survived by her children—Veronica "Onnie" Gordon-Lorenzana, Barbara "Bai" Gordon-Delos Reyes, Cecille Gordon-Mullen, Richard "Dick" Gordon, James "Bong" Gordon and Imelda Deza.