AN accomplished and decorated writer across different genres, Elena Patron-delos Angeles, commonly known as Elena Patron, once advised the young generation to practice patience and keep ties with the Almighty.
In a 2013 Q&A YouTube video uploaded by Jay-R Patron, the respected writer answered a flurry of questions, including her message to the youth.
“Be patient and don’t forget the Lord,” Patron said. “Noon, dasal ako ng dasal every time magsu-submit ako ng short story, pupunta ’ko sa Nazareno, d’un ako magdadasal.”
Patron was a female comic book writer who stood tall in a genre dominated by men in the mid-20th century. Her first komik, titled Kapatid Ko ang Aking Ina, was adapted into a movie in 1969 that won her a FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences) for Best Story.
In the interview, Patron recounted having written some 300 comic book titles, including Blusang Itim; Lord, Give Me a Lover; Ako si Emma, Babae; and Dalawa ang Nagdalantao sa Akin. The works were likewise given the big-screen treatment and enjoyed blockbuster success.
Patron was also an entertainment and lifestyle writer, novelist, and columnist. Throughout her writing career, Patron was given major assignments that had her interviewing the likes of American actor Jeffrey Hunter of 1965’s Star Trek and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” singer Paul Anka.
Patron passed away on January 14. She was 87.
“For us who knew her, she was just a very strong, simple and caring woman who put her loved ones before herself,” said Jenny Fatima Macatiag, a close family friend of the Patrons, through the Facebook post of entertainment journalist Mell Navarro.
Macatiag added: “She was an inspiration.”