Obituary
Agatona Dorado Monteagudo, 3M Engineer, born 7 December 1941; died 26 September 2019
Agatona “Toni” Dorado Monteagudo, who has died aged 77, was a very loving and compassionate Aunt, Grandaunt, Sister and Friend. Her close family lived in Minnesota whom she loved dearly. She enjoyed playing golf and tennis and always wanted to retire at a Golf & Country Club. She loved the community at Heritage Palms in Fort Myers and the surrounding churches as her friends became her family over time. She was extremely intelligent, independent, and had a strong faith in God. She firmly believed that the greatest legacy she could pass on to her niece, nephews, grandniece and grandnephew were not material things but rather a legacy of character and faith.
Her life began on the same day as Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) but on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. She was born to Benedicto Monteagudo and Rufina Dorado in a town in the Philippines called Nagcarlan, just south of Manila in the province of Laguna. It was during a time of war which contributed to her mental toughness and determined spirit she had throughout her life.
Growing up in the Philippines, she watched many Hollywood films and it was her dream to someday move to the United States. She was very close to her Grandma, Estebana Dorado, whom she spoke of fondly and learned from her discipline, spirituality, and matters close to the heart. She was a very good student, going from Rizal Standard Academy to St. Rita College and then attending one of Philippines’ top universities, Mapua Institute of Technology, where she was a member of the Delta Sigma Sigma sorority and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1965. She considered her degree to be her passport into the United States as she immigrated in 1969, fulfilling her childhood dream.
She initially worked in the U.S. as a Development Research Chemist in Northfield, Illinois for 4 ½ years. This is where she met her foster mom whom she loved and adored and who encouraged Agatona to follow her to Minnesota. In 1973, Agatona landed a job in Minnesota at 3M as a Development Research Engineer. She would stay at 3M for the rest of her career, eventually retiring from the company after 27 years.
In 1975 she enlisted in the United States Army and her military service further defined her character as she would help raise her niece and nephews with similar values such as duty and respect. In 1982, she was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army as a Staff Sergeant.
During her 27-year career at 3M, she became a distinguished Engineer working mainly for their Tape Manufacturing Division. In 1989 she was awarded her 1st of two patents as joint inventor of “Embossed Tape for Closure System”. She received her 2nd patent for her work on particle dispensing for conductive adhesive products. She travelled extensively for both business and leisure, was heavily involved in the 3M Women’s Golf League, and volunteered for local community and government organizations and churches.
She spent her retirement doing what she loved, spending time with family and friends and being of service to others. She will always be remembered for her loving spirit, true friendship and dedication to her faith.
She is survived by her brothers, Graciano and Cansiano (& Necita), her niece, Thelma (& James), her nephews, Salvador and Marcelo (& Khua), grandniece, Alysa, and grandnephew, Stefan.
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