Ludivine Marquez Marasigan (also known as 'Ludy') was born in Manila, Philippines.
Tirso Melendrez Gamo, Jr. (also known as 'Junn') was born in Tanay, Rizal, Philippines, but was raised in Paco, Manila.
Junn met Ludy during a town fiesta in Batangas. Ludy was the town queen and Junn was one of the visitors. It was love at first sight for Junn. He was so mesmerized with Ludy so he got up the courage to go to Ludy's grandparents house to meet her personally.
Ludy was still too young at that time and, with so many visitors, Ludy did not even notice Junn.
Junn asked his cousin, who was a friend of Ludy, to help him meet Ludy. The cousin showed Junn's picture to Ludy hoping that Ludy would remember him. Still, Ludy could not remember Junn.
Junn did not lose hope. He asked his cousin where Ludy went to school in Manila and, every day, Junn stayed at the corner of The Philippine Women's University waiting for Ludy to show up.
To make a long story short, they finally ended up meeting and Ludy was softened by Junn’s perseverance.
Ludy was still taking B.S. in Pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas and she promised her parents that she would not marry until she graduated.
Junn wanted to make sure Ludy would be his bride so, with Junn's persistence, they married secretly in May 1958 at a civil ceremony.
Junn graduated from the San Juan de Letran college with a B.S. in Commerce and, after Ludy received her B.S. in Pharmacy degree from the University of Santo Tomas, they married again at the Malate Catholic Church on May 8, 1960.
Junn joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1962. Ludy and their children joined him in the United States in 1964.
Junn retired as Chief Petty Officer after 23 years of service with the Coast Guard. After two years of retirement, Junn started working for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service where he stayed for 13 years. He then retired and never worked again.
Ludy retired after 28 years as Quality Control Laboratory Supervisor from Best Foods Company. After one year of retirement, she decided on a different career and worked for almost 10 years with the Department of Homeland Security as an Adjudications Officer before she retired for good.
Junn and Ludy are blessed with three wonderful children and five beautiful grandchildren. They are proud to be called Grandma and Grandpa.
Junn and Ludy are very generous, especially to their families and to the people in the Philippines. They donated a piece of land to the school in Batangas on which they built a high school building and installed a full-sized basketball court. They are also officers of the Judge Eliodoro E. Marasigan Foundation that donates 1,000.00 pesos bi-monthly to ten poor families of Batangas. The late Judge Eliodoro Marasigan was the father of Ludy.
Ludy and Junn enjoy their retirement by partying and traveling with family and friends, as well as babysitting their two youngest grandchildren.