Dr. Leonides "Nene" Ponce Medrano-Hababag, 70, Orange

Dr. Leonides “Nene” Ponce Medrano-Hababag, 70, of Orange, passed away on August 12, 2023, after a brief battle with brain cancer at Houston Methodist Hospital.

A Mass of Christian Remembrance will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 31, 2023, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Orange. Officiating will be Reverend Ernie Carpio.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 30, at St. Francis Catholic Church, with a Wake service at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Rosary Service beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Born in the Philippines, on September 7, 1952, she was the daughter of Manuel Medrano and Maxima Ponce, she later moved to the United States with her husband, Manuel. While in the United States she lived and worked in California, New York, Michigan, and finally Orange, Texas where she served the community and practiced medicine for 30 years. Even after seeing everything this country had to offer, she chose to make Orange her home, and be laid to rest here. Nene was the ultimate caregiver to everyone she came across. She was a loyal member of St. Francis Catholic Church for numerous years.

Nene was involved and passionate with the annual blood drive that St. Francis Catholic Church held and the nine-day evening Mass before Christmas, a Filipino tradition. She also enjoyed reading in her spare time as well as shopping, often closing the mall down.

Nene absolutely loved her career as a pediatrician, taking care of all her babies throughout the years. She was a proud member of the Medical Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Southeast Texas Pediatric Society. She was exceptional at everything she set out to do but was especially fond of cooking and entertaining her loved ones and friends.

She will always be remembered for her famous eggrolls and noodles. To know Nene was to love her.

Her smile lit the room when she walked in, she never met a stranger, and welcomed all with open arms.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Manuel Medrano and Maxima Ponce; and siblings, Orlando Medrano, Renato Medrano, and George Medrano.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Manuel Hababag; children, Gracious Sarasak, and Justin Hababag; siblings, Rolando Medrano and wife, Teresita, Lourdes Claro and husband, Salvador, Leticia Sunpongco and husband, Efren, and Manuel Godfrey Medrano and wife, Teresita; sister by choice, Patti Guilbeaux and husband, Mike; along with many other loving actual and adopted family and friends.

In Lieu of flowers, the family of Nene asks that donations be made to St. Mary Catholic School in her honor at 2600 Bob Hall Rd, Orange, TX 77630.