Leonisa Carbonilla Comillas, 89, passed away peacefully in the arms of her loving children, family and friends on Sunday, May 3, 2026.‍

Leonisa was born on February 4, 1937 to her parents, Froilana Abiera and Diosdado Carbonilla in Maasin Southern Leyte, Philippines. Leonisa completed her nursing degree at the Southwestern Colleges School of Nursing in Cebu City, Philippines. Leonisa was a talented seamstress. She took a course from Singer Sewing and Fashion in the Philippines, graduating at the top of her class, right before she pursued her degree in nursing. Leonisa left for the US to find a greener pasture and to help her parents and siblings back in the Philippines. She worked for Cook County Hospital in Chicago for several years. She also found two other hospitals where she would also work for. ‍During at one of her return to the Philippines, Leonisa found work on a provincial medical unit. She met her beloved husband, Simeon Jr. while taking care of his mother. It was a true and endless love at first sight for Simeon Jr. He pursued Leonisa and finally won her heart. They got married on January 18, 1969 in Davao City.A year after, they were blessed with a daughter, Maria Leah Comillas who also became a nurse. A year later, they were blessed with a son, Symon Caesar Comillas who is an engineer.

Leonisa decided to stay in the Philippines for a while. But when their children graduated from high school, she decided to come back to the US to be able to comfortably send them to college and earn a degree. It was a mutual decision and agreement that Simeon Jr. will stay with the children in the Philippines because there are more job opportunities for nurses.

The entire family was all united in 1991 and they resided in Hyde Park, Chicago for over 25 years, until Leonisa and Simeon Jr. moved in to stay with their daughter in Bolingbrook. Leonisa cherishes simple life and a small circle of friends. Not much of a talker, but when she is with Simeon Jr., she gets comfortable. She knows how to dance but only with her husband. She shares endless stories of her childhood, stories during World War Two and everything else.  With the dawn of technology, Leonisa never got the interest to learn about it. She worked as a Drug and Rehabilitation nurse in the south side of Chicago until she was 78 years old. She retired because the software Meditech was being implemented in that hospital.

Leonisa was a very loving and caring mother, wife and friend. As a mother, she sacrificed being apart from her children to work in the US to provide them a good collegiate education. As a wife, she was very caring of Simeon Jr., the one who always looks after his medications and appointments. As a friend, she was very accommodating and helpful to all especially the new Filipino nurses who arrived to Chicago. She was very giving of her time, her love and endless advice. She is sweetly called "Nanay" by all of our Filipino friends which means "mother" in Filipino language. She was everyone's mother: a source of peace and silent, simple comfort. Leonisa is survived by her daughter Maria Leah Comillas and his son Symon Caesar Comillas (wife Marlene). Leonisa has 3 grandchildren: Christian Comillas, Adam Patrick Manuel and Alliyah Faith Manuel, all of whom she was very proud of. She is also survived by her brother retired Dr. Dioscorro Carbonilla of the Philippine MilitaryArmy. Leonisa is preceded in death by her parents, Diosdado and Froilana Carbonilla, her brothers, Francisco, Salvador, Justiniano, Margarito, Anacleto, Jose, and Diosdado Jr.; her sisters Liduvina, Clotilde, and Matilde. 

Visitation Monday, May 11th, from 4:00pm-8:00pm. 

Funeral Tuesday, May 12th, 9:30 am chapel prayers from McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home 530 W. Boughton Rd. Bolingbrook, IL. 60440 to Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 2003 Hassert Blvd, Naperville, IL. Mass 10:30am.  Interment Resurrection Catholic Cemetery (Romeoville).