Nicanor R. Jocson

It is with a heavy heart that our family announces the passing of Nicanor Reyes Jocson, age 96, on
December 7, 2022. He called Addison, Illinois his home for over 42 years. He was born to parents,
Alvaro and Crecencia in Naic Cavite, Philippines. Nicanor was married to his beautiful wife, Elisa, for
over 60 years until her death on January of 2016. He is survived by his 3 children: Danilo (ex-wife,
Delia) Jocson and their 2 children, Diane (Mike) and Danielle; Renato (Cynthia) Jocson and their 3
children, John (Veronica), Joachim (Laura), and Rebekah (Ben); and Maria Leonor (Anthony)
Sollman. And, a great-grandchild, Warner, parents are Joachim & Laura.
During WWII in the Philippines, Nicanor at age 18, along with thousands of Filipino men, women, and
children, answered the call of the U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to help fight the Japanese.
They formed guerilla units and joined forces with the United States under the command of General
Douglas MacArthur to overthrow the Empire of Japan. For two years, Nicanor was a member of 2
guerilla units in Cavite; Taparan Unit (Weapons Division) and Naic ROTC Taparan Volunteer
Hospital. Nicanor aided in the care and treatment of wounded Filipino civilians/soldiers/guerilla—and
some American soldiers. While attached to the 11 th Airborne Division of the US Army, his guerilla
units were also involved in sabotage, intelligence, and espionage against the Japanese forces. In 1945,
Nicanor was honorably discharged from the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized
guerillas in the service of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Through the GI Bill, Nicanor attended college and received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering
in the Philippines. In 1972, he emigrated from the Philippines to the United States where he eventually
settled in Illinois. Several years later, he became a Naturalized U.S. Citizen. For many years, he
worked for an engineering firm in Chicago called Sargent & Lundy. After being laid off, he eventually
worked part time for the EPA for a few years. Nicanor was known for his love of baseball and was a
big Cubs fan. At home, he was passionate about the care of his garden where he enjoyed growing
various flowers, fruits and vegetables. During his later years, he and his wife Elisa enjoyed traveling
throughout Europe and Hawaii. Nicanor was known to his family and friends to be a generous,
humorous, and proud man.