'Asia’s Best Actress' Lilia Dizon, Christopher de Leon's mom, dies at 92
MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actress Lilia Dizon passed away at 8:20 a.m. this morning in her home. She was 92.
Reports said that she died due to lung cancer complications.
Dizon was the mother of veteran actor Christopher de Leon.
Her remains will be cremated today in Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City.
According to ABS-CBN News, Christopher’s sister Toni Abad made a eulogy for their late mother.
“To Pinky, Christopher, Melissa, Corrie, and I, she was simply 'Mom.' But above all she loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and soul. She was always giving honor and praise to God even during the final days of her life. She often said that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God,” she said.
“When she couldn’t read the Bible anymore I made a vow that would read it to her every night. Those are the most precious nights that I will always treasure in my heart.”
Lilia, whose real name was Claire Strauss, was born in Pampanga in 1928. She was the only child of Filipina Regina Dizon to German-American Jew Abraham Strauss.
From a bombshell, Dizon rose to fame for her acting chops as seen in the 1950s movies under LVN Pictures, including "Bathaluman," "Sanda Wong" and "Kandelerong Pilak."
In 1955, she toured the US for playing the title role in Gerry de Leon’s “Sanda Wong,” giving her the chance to meet Hollywood stars Marlon Brando and Lucille Ball.
In 1956, she won as Asia’s Best Actress at the Cambodia Film Festival for “Kandelerong Pilak," which was directed by National Artist for Film Lamberto Avellana. The Prince of Cambodia, Narodom Sihanouk, who later became the country's king and prime minister, personally gave Lilia the trophy when he visited the Philippines that year.
In 1958, Dizon starred opposite Pancho Magalona in “Glory at Dawn,” and in 1961, she acted alongside Fernando Poe Jr. and Joseph Estrada in Armando Garces’ “Baril sa Baril.”
In 1945, when Lilia was only 17 years old, she married actor-director Gil de Leon and had three children with him, Pinky, Christopher and Melissa. Their marriage lasted for 18 years.
After their separation, Dizon left showbiz and lived in the United States, where she married businessman Antonio Abad and had two two daughters with him, Toni and Corrie.
In 1974, Lilia returned to Philippine showbiz to join her son Christopher in his silver screen debut, Lino Brocka’s “Tinimkang Ka Ngunit Kulang."
Among her last films were “Wrinkles" by director Eric Quizon in 2006, and “Paraiso: Tatlong Kwento ng Pag-asa” in 2007 directed by Ricky Davao, Jun Lana and Joel Ruiz.
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