An Interesting Mormon Personality:

His Name Denotes Happiness

One of two Filipino Stake Patriarchs of the Church in the Philippines has a happy name, and he is living up to it in every respect.

Leoncio Cauzon Alegre (the Spanish word “alegre” means happy or merry) has plenty of reasons to be a happy man, the foremost of which is that nine years ago, the truth was unfolded to him in, of all places, a grocery store located about 200 meters away from the former site of the Manila Distribution Center and Seminaries & Institutes offices of the Church.

The year was 1968. Bro. Alegre decided on buying some refreshment items from the grocery store after wasting the whole morning looking for an acquaintance in the Reposo area of Makati from whom he was to receive a reference book.

Two young missionaries were also in the store and in a few moments, he found himself conversing with the pair. One of them asked two golden questions. And the day, far from being wasted, suddenly turned into an eventful one that led this elderly man into greater and more enlightening doorways to the truth than he ever thought of in six decades of his life. The 7th of July that year, at the age of 61, he was baptized.

The holder of an engineering degree from the University of the Philippines (Class of 1929), Bro. Alegre embarked on a civil engineering career at the age of 22. Pharmacology must have fascinated him too when he chose a coed from the Manila College of Pharmacy, the former Isabel Florentino Alzadon of Capas, Tarlac, as his mate.

He is now the assistant of Bro. Frederick W. Sampsel for Church construction work. His ecclesiastical records include callings as branch clerk, branch president, second counselor (Quezon City Phil. District Presidency) and High Councilman. On May 29, 1977, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Council of the Twelve ordained him Stake Patriarch, Manila Philippines Stake.

For a Filipino family, the happiness of parents becomes complete when sons and daughters (Bro. and Sis. Alegre are blessed with three sons and four daughters) become successful in life with their chosen careers. The Alegre family is now a cross-section of the professions: engineering, pharmacy, law, nursing, archaeology, agriculture and beauty culture.

Enhancing the happiness of Bro. Alegre is the comforting thought that his wife and youngest daughter, Lerma, are one with him in faith. Lerma served a mission from 1970 to 1972. After returning from missionary work, she married Pablo Quivallo, an Elder in the Valenzuela (Bulacan) Branch.

Bro. Alegre was born in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the 12th of September, 1907. Throughout the years, there has been one characteristic that clearly sets him apart as a happy man. He truly lives up to his name.