Esther C. Andaya

Esther Chanliongco AndayaSeptember 27, 1940 – September 28, 2026

Esther Chanliongco Andaya, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 28, 2026, one day after celebrating her 86th birthday.

Born in the Philippines to Remedios Hernandez Chanliongco and Eliseo Villanueva Chanliongco, Esther was the eldest of seven children. Around 1970, she came to the United States to build a new life. Her love story with her husband, Gil, began years earlier when they were young neighbors in the Philippines. He would walk her home from school, and over the years, their friendship grew into a lifelong love. Eventually, Gil joined Esther in the United States, and together they built a family grounded in devotion, sacrifice, and enduring love—a partnership that lasted more than seven decades.

Esther worked as a paralegal in New York City and took great pride in her family. She loved fiercely, gave generously, and always did her best for those she cared for. She enjoyed traveling, dancing, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren. Family birthdays and special occasions brought cherished memories of Esther making pancit and vegetable lumpia—her way of adding something special to the celebrations and bringing her family together.

Esther is survived by her husband, Gil; her children, Glenn Andaya and Leslie DeTorres; her grandchildren, Luke and Grace Andaya, children of Glenn and Lizle Andaya, and Jada and Jaylen DeTorres, children of Leslie and Marlon DeTorres; and her brother, Edgardo Chanliongco. She was preceded in death by her parents and five brothers.

Esther’s legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the values she passed down, and the love she gave so freely. She will be deeply missed, forever cherished, and always remembered.