Evelyn Nazareth Zabala

Name: Evelyn Nazareth Zabala
Children: Jonathan, Maria (Maite) Theresa-Zabala-Alday, Kristianna Rose (Kristi) Zabala-Bishop- all born in Los Angeles, CA
Their dad, Jaime (Jimmy) Gonzales Zabala from Tanauan, Batangas died on Dec 24, 1989.
Grandchildren: Tristan and Kingston

I met an Italian widower, Frank Ferraro, in 1992 at a week-end retreat sponsored by the Los Angeles Diocese for Separated, Divorced and Widowed. We got married in Oct 1999. He’s now semi-retired and does taxes during the tax season (Jan- April 15th) to keep him busy.

After Bong Arroyo (now Staub) and I graduated with our B.S.Chem degrees from PWU, I didn’t take the route she took- Masters and PhD degrees right away. Instead, I immigrated to the US in 1968 and took my board exam in California as a Medical Technologist. I worked at a reference lab in Van Nuys, CA for 22 years. After leaving the lab environment, I started working as a Clinical Monitor for different pharmaceutical companies and moved from Los Angeles to San Diego in 2000. When we had an almost-empty nest (youngest daughter in HS), I decided to go for my MBA. My daughter and I graduated the same year, 2002; she from HS and me, finally with my Masters.


Even though I officially became a senior citizen this January, I’m still working as a Clinical Monitor for a Danish pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, Inc. We’re the largest company worldwide that sells insulin for diabetes. We are testing other drugs for diabetes and that’s where I come in. Before a drug is approved by the FDA in the US, it has to be tested on animals and then humans. I visit the clinical sites and ensure that the investigators are following the protocol and the patients are getting the treatment. I still enjoy what I’m doing so it would be a couple more years before I retire.

Frank and I love to go on cruises after we tried a short 3-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. Frank likes the idea that we have a “home away from home” and don’t need to pack and unpack each time we arrive at a destination port. We’ve since gone on a Mexican Riviera, to Alaska, Western Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia, Monaco, France, Spain and Portugal), and to Baltic countries (England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and St. Petersburg, Russia). The last one was to Greece, Turkey and Egypt. Of course, we’ve also gone on a US cruise to see the colorful fall leaves in New Hampshire, Nova Scotia, Boston and New York. Next cruise would probably be to the Caribbean- maybe our HS class can plan one.

I’m so grateful for the many friends and relatives who supported me when my first husband died. It made the pain of losing a loved one more bearable. I still see those old friends and they’ve also accepted Frank into our circle. We see regularly Jimmy’s sisters, brothers and kids as my kids are close to them too. Friends and family- that’s what makes me happy!