Francis Mangayao

On October 9th, Chicago got less funny and a lot quieter with the loss of a treasured friend, husband, father, son, and Bears fan, our very own Francis Nano Mangayao. Francis, 48, was born March 15, 1976, in Chicago to Roberto and Nieva Mangayao. His parents came to the United States from the Philippines as part of a group that named themselves The Happening, and their children The Happening 2.0. Francis was a proud member, his first extended family; his first party. Those early adventures with a huge group of cousins laid the groundwork for a lifetime spent bringing people together.
Francis grew up in Bloomingdale, graduating St. Francis High School, but spiritually a member of the Lake Park High School Class of 1994. He attended Loyola University and spent his adulthood in Chicago, working all sorts of jobs, each time coming away with friends he refused to shake. The same happened with strangers, neighbors, friends of friends, until hundreds of people knew the hilarious guy with the booming voice making the whole room laugh.
In 2018 he faced a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis and was given two years to live. So he did. He traveled, to see family in the Philippines, the Bears away games, and to great food, including one day in Boston, just to get the good cannolis. He adopted a dog, Pika, a Pekingese found lost in a West Loop playground. And then he told his friend of 20 years, Jennifer, it’s always been her. That resulted in buying a house, adding dogs, chickens, turning his surprise birthday party into a marriage proposal, and in the ultimate capper, the transformative experience of becoming parents this past June to their daughter Tess. He expected two years, but outlived his diagnosis by an extra five. A whole second life.
Francis will be remembered for his trademark mix of honesty, humor, generosity and fearless embrace of life. Whether that’s learning to make new food, regardless of the scope of appliances required, or completing his first knitting project, a gun holster. He executed legendary Halloween costumes and could out-eat nearly anybody. His mind was a steel trap filled with random facts, and he would have won Jeopardy had he been on the show. He was a relentless friend, the guy who was there for you at the airport, at your move, and who argued with you on your own behalf or everyone else’s depending on his mood.
He’ll live on through the vastness of everything he loved and in all of us touched by his giant heart barely hiding behind sarcastic irreverence. We miss you Francis, we were just so lucky to know you.
Francis is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer, his devoted mother Nieva (nee Nano) Mangayao, and his daughter Theresa Cordelia. He is preceded in death by his father, Roberto. Other survivors are a wealth of cousins and beloved friends.
Visitation will be from 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm Friday, October 18, 2024, at Salerno’s Rosedale, 450 W Lake St., Roselle, IL 60172. A Funeral Mass will be at 9:30 am on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the St. Isidore Church at 427 W Army Trail Rd. Bloomingdale IL, 60108. Prayers and final viewing will take place on Saturday at 8:30 am at the funeral home. Internment is planned after the Service at Assumption Cemetery at 1S510 Winfield Rd Wheaton IL, 60189.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Francis may be given to the American Cancer Society https://tinyurl.com/FrancisMangayaoMemorial

His McDonald’s points and Kohl’s Cash will remain with his family. Bear down.