Mylah de Leon with President Fidel V. Ramos during the president’s visit to Los Angeles in November 1993.
LOS ANGELES — Distinguished journalist and award-winning lifestyle columnist Mylah de Leon passed away on May 1, 2026, after a lingering illness. She was 82.
Mylah was born and raised in the Philippines. She attended St. Theresa’s High School and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.
One of her first jobs was at the Land Transportation Commission, where she worked for the deputy commissioner. There, she met her boss’s son and future husband, Francisco de Leon. In 1960, Mylah and Francisco were married on St. Joseph’s feast day, March 19.
They had four daughters: Milkah, Christmas, Drizzle and Noelle.
Mylah continued to work while married. She served as a delegate of the Philippine Trade Mission to France, Australia, Japan and China. She was also the public relations officer of three Quezon City mayors. But what she truly wanted to do was write.
She began by writing short stories for magazines and eventually became a columnist, writing about society and culture. She admitted to bungling her first attempt at hard news writing when she submitted a literary journalist’s piece for what was supposed to be a police story assignment. Her editors promptly transferred her to fashion reporting.
She persevered and became a respected member of the National Press Club of the Philippines and the Malacañang Press Corps during the administrations of two presidents.
She was active in her daughters’ school parent committees, involved in various social action organizations and was the first female member of The 365 Club.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Francisco, on January 10, 1984.
In 1995, Mylah moved to the United States to be closer to her daughters.
In the U.S., she wrote for major Filipino American publications, notably Asian Journal and Philippine Times. She was acclaimed for her distinct style, exploring personal narratives, cultural reflections and social issues, including aging, spirituality and community life. Her work blended autobiography, political commentary and poignant personal essays.
She was a staunch supporter of the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra, Philippines Press Photographers, the Filipino American Press Club of California and other community organizations, and was a founding member of Pens and Lens. Over the course of her career, she interviewed presidents, dignitaries, captains of industry, athletes and celebrities.
But her greatest gifts were her faith in God and her capacity to love. She was devoted to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph and Santo Niño. People who knew her described her as an extraordinary woman of strength and grace: compassionate, generous and kind.
Mylah is survived by her children, Milkah and Robert Barr, Christmas and Almond Abellanosa, Drizzle and Steve Gibson, and Noelle de Leon; her grandchildren, Mikey and Theo, Katharine and Jake, CJ, Eze, Eliana, Ben and Amira, Kynan, Hayden, EV and T, Angel, Josh and Amanda, and Ashley and Ryan; and her great-grandchild, Sophia.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on May 23 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.
