Mrs. Encarnacion Albright

Encarnacion Albright lived an adventurous and unique life that most of us can only read about in history books. Encarnacion (named after the incarnation of Jesus) was born in Cebu, one of the largest islands of the Philippines. She was the oldest of 10 children born to Pedro and Eulalia Abellana. Nene (as her friends called her) was raised by doting parents and grandparents and her early childhood afforded all the privileges of a well-to-do family, including two exotic pets: a monkey and a baby alligator! Her idyllic world came to an abrupt end with the invasion of her beloved island by the Japanese. Through the rest of her childhood and early teen years, Nene had to endure food shortages, constant danger, and bombings that affected her hearing for the rest of her life. After the war, Nene helped her family by selling mangos and coconuts that she sold for a few coins. Always a proud family, they pulled themselves up by hard work and a strong emphasis on education. Nene pursued a career in education and quickly established herself as an exceptional and dedicated teacher of mathematics. Unfortunately for Nene, Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda came into power just as Nene was establishing her career. Being the intelligent, opinionated person that she was, Nene could not keep quiet as the Marcos’ family’s corrupt influence grew. She started writing controversial letters to the local papers criticizing Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos. People were disappearing and being imprisoned without due process. It was then that friends encouraged Nene to leave the country. Nene settled in Syracuse, New York, where she met Joseph Albright, a handsome American serviceman through mutual friends. Joe was determined to start a relationship with Nene and she was just as determined not to. Joe won out, and he and Nene were happily married for almost 30 years. Joe worked at a local paper mill until retirement, while Nene supplemented their income by working at the Upjohn Nursing home for many years. Even though Nene was not an RN, she caught the attention of those in charge with her knowledgeable and empathetic care of the residents. Nene stopped working to care for Joe full time, who had developed cancer in his later years. Even though Nene never had children of her own, she was a loving and caring person to the grandchildren of Andrew Hamilton, whom she helped in the last few years of his life. Nene will be remembered for the intelligent, caring person that she was. Raised in the Catholic Church, she took her religion very seriously, whether giving money to a favorite charity or giving sage advice to young people that she cared about. Nene exemplified the Christian ethic of giving of oneself with no thought of reward, and we have no doubt that she is now enjoying her reward in the presence of Jesus. NOTE: IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, the family requests sending donations to: Portage Lions Club and The Salvation Army.

Mrs. Encarnacion Albright

August 9, 1928 - December 5, 2015