South San Francisco, CA January 14, 2022 by Garden Chapel Funeral Directors
Barbara Ababon Brennan, 69, of San Francisco passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022 with Leptomeningeal Disease secondary to Lung Adenocarcinoma primary. She was a lifelong non-smoker and was exposed to second hand smoke from professional and personal relationships. With the support and compassionate care of her loving family, she soundly beat her prognosis. As further testament to her strength and courage, she never spent a single day hospitalized for the entirety of her illness, preferring to stay close to the immeasurable love of her family and her son.
Barbara was born to the late Bernardina Sedoriosa and Atanasio Ababon, December 4th, 1952 in Davao City. She was married to the late Timothy A. Brennan in 1985 and they lived together in South San Francisco from 1986 to 1997 where they were faithful members of All Souls Parish and devoted members of the All Souls Sunday choir. Indeed, one of Barbara’s enduring joys was to gather and celebrate her faith with you through her beautiful singing. Barbara is survived by her only child Anthony Ababon and daughter-in-law Valerie Kao; her sisters Guillerma S. Ababon, Olimpia S. Ababon, Luciana A. Algabre, Juliana A. Yap, and Cecilia A. Barrientos; and her brothers Michael S. Ababon, Andres S. Ababon, and Gabriel S. Ababon.
To those who knew her best, she was a free spirit who loved adventure, traveling widely with her family to the Holy Land, the Philippines, Hawaii, and the East Coast and playing tourist with family and friends in the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa Wine Country. Barbara was always optimistic and a devoted friend – tiny but mighty in so many ways. She spoke very firmly and exemplified a strong Filipino woman who knew how to assert herself. She defied many odds, fought many battles and remained strong, confident, witty, and stood for her family at all cost. She believed that standing up for yourself and your family mattered the most.
To her son, she was loving, caring, and selfless. She sacrificed and gave her all so that her only child might have a better life in America filled with opportunities and promise.