Belen Go Pavon

Belen Go Pavon, age 85 of Minneapolis passed away peacefully on November 23, 2020 at the comfort of her home with daughter, Anna J. Santos. Belen is survived by daughter: Anna Santos | nephew: Dante Canillas his wife and sons: Mary, David and Eric | niece: Olivia Canillas | nephew: Roman Canillas: sister: Zenaida Nagano nephew: Christopher wife and sons: Remy, Joshua, Jonathan | extended family: The Gavinos Preceded by mother: Anna Go Pavon | father: Jose Pavon | sister: Leonita Canillas | nephew: Corsini Canillas Belen Go Pavon was born March 23, 1935 in Tueguegarao, Philippines. She was the youngest of 16. She didn’t get to know most of her siblings as they perished during WW2. She played volleyball and somehow ended up a cheerleader because the coach thought she was adorable. She said she so sucked at it. Her appendix burst while playing volleyball and ended her stint as a cheerleader. Fiercely independent, she didn’t take any flack from the boys and would fight back if they tried any “hanky panky”. Poured boiling water on a boy’s hand because he pinched her butt in science class. She graduated from the University of the East Philippines with a Bachelor of Business Administration. A suitor of her sister, Leonita came to their house one day. But Leonita had a driver’s lesson that day, so mom kept him company until she was done. He worked at the embassy and said if she wanted to go to the United States of America, to let him know. She arranged to go visit her sister, Zenaida in MN and was approved for a visa. She left me and my Lola for a year, she wanted to make sure she had a job before bringing us to America. She landed a job at Dayton Hudson Corporation as a corporate accountant and stayed there for 37 years! My mom was my superhero, she knew almost everything, incredibly smart and multi-talented. She loved to crochet, knit, and sew, even creating her own patterns. She loved numbers, so it was extremely easy for her to invest well; play mahjong, blackjack, card/board games, slots and horse racing. My ex-boyfriends adored her and introduced her to the Vikings, Twins, and fishing. She would always predict who would be in the playoffs and would win at mostly everything she played or gambled on. She was a single immigrant mother bringing up a daughter and taking care of her mother who didn’t speak English. She bought a house on her own and taught me how to strip wallpaper, paint and gardening. And most of all - she was known for her cooking. Dante and I often called her on holidays to get her recipes. We did it so much--she started to answer the phone, 1-800-COOK? She always started, “oh that’s really easy” and rattled off 18 ingredients and several ways of cooking it. And we never could make it quite like hers. She was witty, loved to tease and an energetic storyteller -- there were moments we would laugh so hard we could not talk. She was fearless, strong and a survivor. Survived WW2, and stories about how they hid from the Japanese. It has been a very tough 3 years when she got terribly ill. We hired some amazing caregivers that engaged her, and she amused them with her stories of the Philippines, her coworkers at Dayton Hudson and stupid things that I did growing up. I will always be grateful for all the caregivers that made her feel engaged, encouraging her to eat, assisted her when she physically struggled. I sincerely believe they gave us another year of her presence. I am humbled by all the great stories that have been shared with me. She will always be my superhero, grateful for everything she has done for me and how she touched everyone she has spent time with. She will always live in a special place in our hearts. Rest in peace, Belen. Private Family Services will be held with burial at Gethsemane Cemetery, in New Hope, MN Washburn-McReavy.com Strobeck Johnson 952-938-9020

Tributes

Belen Go Pavon

March 23, 1935 - November 23, 2020

Tributes

Belen Go Pavon

March 23, 1935 - November 23, 2020

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