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| LILIA DIZON as BATHALUMAN |
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| with her family |
SOME WEEKS AGO, we asked for prayers for Lilia Dizon, the mother of Pinky, Christopher and Melissa de Leon who was a top LVN Pictures star in th 1950s doing lead roles in films like “Venus”, “Bathaluman”, “Tucydides”, “Kandelerong Pilak” (for which she won a best actress in the Asian Filmfest held in Cambodia), “Sanda Wong”, etc.
Last Monday morning, June 15, her daughter, Toni Abad, posted this in her social media account: “The angels are rejoicing! Mom is now worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ not by faith, but by sight.
"She is now with our father God in heaven. No more pain, no more tears, no more suffering, She left us at exactly 8:20 this morning. I’m posting this with much sorrow because I will miss her. I love you Mom! Rest In Peace in the hands of our creator.”
Her remains were cremated the same day at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City. Toni wrote this tribute for her mom:
“To Pinky, Christopher, Melissa (children with Lilia’s first marriage to LVN actor Gil de Leon who also succumbed to the big C), Corrie and I (her daughters with her second marriage to Antonio Abad), she was simply Mom. But above all she loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and soul. She was always giving honor and praise to God even during the final days of her life.
“She often said that nothing can ever separate her from the love of God. When she couldn’t read the Bible anymore I made a vow that I would read it to her every night. Those are the most precious nights that I will always treasure in my heart.”
Her granddaughter, Mariel de Leon, daughter of Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong, wrote this in her own IG account:
"She lived such an exciting life. As a young girl, she experienced the effects of World War II in the Philippines. She would tell me so much stories about all the things she went through during that time.
"She then blossomed into a beautiful woman and into the glamorous screen goddess - Lilia Dizon. I am so proud to call her my Oma, the grandmother in German.
"I know that I got my love for anything elegant, glamorous, and beautiful from her. She would tell me about her life as an actress during her time. The hard work, the glamour, and everything in between (she even met Marlon Brando and Lucille Ball).
"I also remember when she used to live in our house, even when she was just staying home, she would always want to look and smell nice. But besides her beauty, her strength is what I admire the most about her.
"She didn’t let the hardships of life bring her down in anyway; Instead she would rise up and build an even more beautiful life for herself and her loved ones. She truly is the epitome of elegance, grace, and strength."
Days before she passed, Toni was able to deliver messages of hope and inspiration from her friends in showbusiness like Delia Razon, Marita Zobel and Luz Valdez (her colleagues at LVN), Gloria Romero, Gloria Sevilla, Pilita Corrales, Vilma Santos, Elizabeth Oropesa, Boots Anson Roa, Nova Villa, Imelda Ilanan, Baby OBrien, Ronaldo Valdez, Tirso Cruz III,
Gina Alajar, Edgar Mortiz, Ricky Davao, Bibeth Orteza (who says she’s the fake Bathaluman), Jun Urbano. Vangie Pascual, with writers Crispina Belen and Ricky Lo, with singer Dulce singing a very beautiful rendition of “A Certain Sadness” for her. We missed the other LVN actresses like Rosa Rosal, Perla Bautista and Caridad Sanchez.
Lilia was born Claire Strauss in Pampanga in 1928, the only child of Filipina Regina Dizon and German-American Abraham Strauss.
We will remember Lilia Dizon for her memorable performances as a girl trapped inside a balloon in the fantasy flick “Tucydides”, as the rival of the late Anita Linda (who also just passed on June 10) over Jose Padilla Jr. in the drama flick “Perfidia: Kataksilan”, as the feisty gerilyera in “Kandelerong Pilak”,
as the dying wife of Rogelio de la Rosa who adopts Nora Dy in “Ikaw ang Buhay Ko”, as the wronged wife of the philandering Eddie Garcia in “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang”, as the sacrificing mother of Lourdes Medel and Mila Ocampo in “Awit ng mga Dukha” and as the domineering stage mom of Vilma Santos in “Renee Rose”. Let’s all pray for the repose of her soul.
