Maria Lyda Miranda

Maria Lyda Bacani Miranda (Age 83) of Kissimmee, Florida, and formerly of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away serenely on Friday, December 2, 2022. She is survived by Augusto (Gus) Miranda, her loving husband of 58 years; her brother Roberto (Bob) Bacani, his wife Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Bacani, and her sister Milagros (Mimi) Cabagnot. She was the devoted mother of Marla Mooney, Karen Avis, Alan Miranda, and Teena Thornton, and to Pat Mooney, Mike Avis, and Dave Thornton. She was the loving grandmother of Patrick Mooney II (Sydney), Brendan Mooney, Sean Mooney, Alexandra Ragon (Carmine), Miranda Mooney, Kathleen Mooney, Rachel Thornton, Aaron Avis, James Mooney, Teresa Thornton, Samantha Avis, and Anthony Avis. She was the proud great-grandmother of Ezra Mooney and Sophia Mooney. She is preceded in death by her parents Alberto and Saturnina Bacani, her sister Viña Narciso and her brother Jose Bacani and was looking forward to being reunited with them in Heaven. Lyda was a devoted member of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee for over two decades. Serving as a Eucharistic Minister and lector and participating in Charismatic and rosary prayer groups brought her joy. She was also a patron, lector, supporter, and frequent attendee of liturgical celebrations at Mary, Queen of the Universe Basilica and National Shrine. Prior to moving to Florida, Lyda was a devoted member of St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and continued to maintain close ties with the parish. She was steadfast in praying the rosary with family, friends, and fellow parishioners. For her, friendships were for life. She captured her travels and life’s beauty through photojournalism and could be found quietly gardening or creating ikebana arrangements, sharing her beautiful and delicious cakes, and bringing a piano keyboard to life. Lyda was born in the Philippines and immigrated with Gus to the United States in 1971 with their four children. While in the Philippines, she taught elementary and college students for over 10 years. In the United States, Lyda held administrative positions with the Smithsonian Institution in the 70’s and 80’s. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Maryknoll College and Master of Arts in Language and Linguistics from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. Her smile and the color she brought to our lives will be greatly missed. The family will receive friends at the visitation on Friday, Dec. 9 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Osceola Memory Gardens, 1717 Old Boggy Creek, Kissimmee, Florida. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 1603 North Thacker Avenue, Kissimmee, Florida. Burial will follow at Osceola Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Lyda’s memory to Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. https://vimeo.com/event/2699025/659526a425

Maria Lyda Miranda

September 14, 1939 - December 2, 2022