Lutgarda Herrera Obando's Obituary
Lutgarda H. Obando
June 16, 1925 – May 28, 2015
Loving wife of James H. Obando and devoted mother of Michael Obando, Maureen Obando Rhodin, David Obando, Angela Obando (deceased), and Robert Obando, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 28th. She is also survived by her brothers–Rafael Herrera, Alejandro Herrera; her sisters–Angelina Cabrera and Josefina Herrera; her grandchildren—Jason Obando, Nicholas Obando, Erica Obando, Gabrielle Obando, Cicely Rhodin and Danielle Rhodin; and her great grandchildren—Melody Obando, Dylan Obando, Nieem Obando and Narayan Obando.
The third of ten children, Lutgarda was raised in Indang, Cavite in the Philippines; immigrated to the US in 1955; and was a resident of Piedmont, CA for almost 50 years. As a child, Ludi was athletic, fearless, mischievous and loved the outdoors. She would climb trees and was known to disappear through trap doors in the floor in order to escape the drudgery of school–a place that often stifled her free spirit.
During the Japanese occupation of WWII, she would ride her horse Pinky to neighboring towns to sell dried fish to support the family. While accompanying her brother to Manila for the civil engineering entrance exam, Ludi, who was waiting outside, was encouraged to take the exam and received the third highest score. Both were accepted to the Mapua Institute of Technology of Manila, but were only able to complete one year due to the war. In 1946, with the closing of MIT, Ludi continued her studies at the University of Santo Thomas (UST)—a catholic university older than Harvard—where, as the only female student in her class, she received her BS in Architecture. She then took the Architecture Board exam and was the first female to place #1—Ludi was later named one of the top 10 alumni of the University. She was a ground breaker by example—large numbers of young women began pursuing a college education and degrees in engineering and architecture.
At the request of Dr. Owen, a missionary who did work in Ludi’s province, a South Dakota Congressman sponsored her travel to the US. After a few months at an architectural firm in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Ludi developed pleurisy from the cold weather and was invited to California by a family friend and neighbor from the Philippines–James Obando. After a few short months, their relationship blossomed and on December 12, 1955, they were married. They moved to Boston, MA, where Jim was stationed with the Coast Guard, and their son, Michael, was born in 1957.
The two then returned to Oakland, CA where Maureen, David, Angela and Robert were born. Ludi began her career with the City of Oakland as a Housing Redevelopment Advisor and her tireless work transformed the most troubled and distressed areas into places where families could develop a sense of community. These efforts are a testament to who Ludi was as a person, and evidence of her natural instinct to be a positive force in her community and to the people around her.
One of her major accomplishments was the Grove-Shafter Project (980 corridor), which was completed on time and under budget. This project involved the moving and preservation of Victorian houses to make way for the new freeway. She was a member of the design team for Logan International Airport and Oakland International Airport, and designed the Fruitvale and Coliseum BART stations. For her 19 years of outstanding service to the City, for her outstanding skills with complex structures, and for her talent as an architect, Ludi was honored by Mayor Elihu Harris with a resolution acknowledging her invaluable service to the City.
Outside of work, Ludi was an active member of Piedmont Community Church and the Indang Association of Northern California. She loved to travel and during a trip to Rome in 2003, had the honor of an audience with Saint John Paul II. In 2005, James and Ludi celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. Ludi used her skills as an architect to invest in commercial real estate and devoted her efforts towards supporting the pursuit of education by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ludi firmly believed in the importance of education and as an original member of CHIME, was a passionate supporter of music in the schools.
In 2006, Ludi received the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. As her mental functions slowly declined over almost 10 years, she never surrendered her happy disposition, or her caring nature–often asking anyone who entered the room if they had eaten, or joyously exclaiming, “I love you!” Even in the most profound throws of dementia, her spirit found endless ways to continue to shine. Ludi passed from this world surrounded by her family—briefly regaining consciousness before taking her last quiet breath. Without suffering, as if to ease the fears and confusion of those who loved her most, she shined with the light of caring and her never ending concern for others.
A funeral service will be held for Ludi at Piedmont Community Church on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00am. A celebration of her life will be held at Piedmont Community Hall at 1:00pm.
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