Aurora Neypes was born on November 27, 1927 in Agno, Pangasinan, Philippines. She passed away early Friday morning on Dec. 11, 2015 at 88 years old.
Named Aurora Nazareno Casiano by her parents: Pedro and Tomasa Casiano, she was the first of six children. She married Elias Alonso Caducio Neypes in December 23, 1956. He passed away in May of 1981 & buried next to his gravesite at Pierce Brothers – Crestlawn Mortuary and Memorial Park in Riverside, CA on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015.
She graduated from Agno High School, graduating later from Philippine Normal School with a Bachelor of Science in Education and majored in Kinesiology.
She had a passion for music, loved to sing and played several musical instruments. Aurora wanted to take music in college and be a music conductor or be a nurse. Unfortunately, she did not meet the strict requirement at the time to be at least 5 feet tall. However, she loved to teach and became a teacher and taught music & physical education.
She taught at Agno Elementary until she came to the United States in the late 60s. She was a parent volunteer at LaGranada elementary school in Riverside, later becoming a teacher’s aide. Aurora mentioned several times that teachers whom she worked with often asked her why she was not a teacher. She told them that being a teacher in the US is different from being a teacher in the Philippines and she was happy assisting the teachers. She retired as a teacher’s aide from Alvord Unified School District sometime in the 90s.
Before moving to Riverside, her husband, Elias, asked her about immigrating to the United States. She said that it was a very difficult decision to make; she had a good life in the Philippines. He convinced her to consider the opportunities in America especially to their children.
Aurora was a stay at home mom when she arrived in the US. Her first priority was taking care of the family. When the children became older, she learned to drive and got involved in teaching again.
She loved crossword and word search puzzles. She believed in keeping an active and alert mind. She also loved reading & poetry. She took her children to the LaSierra library every week to check out some books.
She was passionate about her belief and was an active member of the Methodist Young Adult Fellowship in the Philippines. In the US, she was active at the “Church of God” later attending Wesley United Methodist Church (UMC) where she became an affiliate member. She was active in the church choir and UMC Women in Riverside until she moved to San Diego. Her full membership in the UMC remained at Agno where she asked her share of the produce from her parent’s lands given to the church.
She liked reading the Bible and other devotionals. When her husband, Elias, passed away, she thanked God for the support she received from relatives, friends and specially the Wesley United Methodist Church in Riverside. Before ending her talk with her kids on the phone, she constantly tells them that she always prays for her children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren and that she thanks God for her blessings.
She leaves behind her four children:
Son, Nathan (former wife, Nimfa), grandchildren: Irene (John; great-grandchildren, Ian & Ryosuke) Reilly, and Christopher, Mariko, & Vanessa.
Daughter, Sharon (Charles) McAllister and grandchildren: Chaslynn & Chanse.
Son, Elijah (Esther) and grandchildren: Elias & Elisha
Son, Andrew (Jeniffer) and grandchildren: Andrea & Breana.
There was a reception at Wesley United Methodist Church in Riverside, CA immediately after her service.
