Leoner Paunan

Leonor Legarda Paunan was born June 30, 1923 in Manila, Philippines.  Her parents were Elpedia Dizon Legarda and Jose Zamora Legarda.  She was the youngest of ten children.  She attended college at the University of Santo Thomas in Manila, where she majored in Commerce and Home Economics.  These skills were later showcased in her cooking skills.  Her specialties include Filipino michado, menudo, kare-kare and lumpiang sariwa to name a few.  In her mid 20s, Leonor won 2 beauty pageants.  She was crowned the Queen of the Town in Sampaloc, Manila, which was a tamarind orchard in Manila.  She also became the Queen of the Off-Shore Yard Shipping Company, which was the national shipping company in the Philippines.  She also worked for the company and was always invited to represent the community during special events.  Grandma Nene (as she was regularly referred to later in life), was the youngest of ten siblings.  She had 2 sisters and 7 brothers and was very close to her mother.  Leonor took care of her mother until the day she died.  She had very little time for herself and devoted whatever time she had to taking care of her.  She did not mind it at all, her heart was always to serve others.  Grandma Nene met her husband Armando Paunan at a party and danced all night.  She loved him despite his lack of dance skills and stepping on her feet most of the time.  It was a long courtship before she said yes, and after that they had 3 boys: George, Harold, and Jose Legarda.  She is grandma to Jeanine Faith, Joseph Ryan, and Justin Daniel.  Her legacy of living life fully, with out regret, and always serving others will be lived out through her family.  We love you, Nene.