At age 95, Constance "Connie" Françoise Hélène Gilhuys made her journey home to our Lord on July 31, 2026. She was born on September 28, 1930 in Salatiga, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) to Frans Reinier Mugie and Elisabeth Francina Christina Mugie, née Saint-Yves. In 1957, Connie married Emile “Miel” Gilhuys and together they raised two sons – Roy and Dan.

She lived in Indonesia through 1951, in The Netherlands until 1960, and finally in California (Los Angeles, Burbank, Hawthorne, and Torrance). After Miel passed in 1998, Connie was given a computer so she could email, scan pictures, and surf the Internet. She began writing stories of her life’s memories; some snippets are included below.

Religion was very important to Connie. She prayed the Rosary daily. If you called at the wrong time on Sunday, you would be politely told, “I’m at church”; she attended mass via TV. She always asked God for help when faced with a decision or dilemma.

Connie’s favorite number was 7. Her “Mama” was born in 1907, her parents met in 1927; she came from a family of 7; she met Miel when she was 17; they were married in 1957; Dan is 7 years younger than Roy; Roy has a family of 3 and Dan has 4 (3+4); “Miel passed away on January 21 (7+7+7) 1998; Miel and I were married for 40 years and 7 months.”

“One day [in 1947] I noticed a handsome guy, driving a car passing our house. I didn’t know who he was and where he came from or where he went. Fortunately, I was friends with Suze Gilhuys. I don’t know how we got to talk about this handsome guy, but I found out, he is her brother……nice connection right there! My idea of a boyfriend at that time was, he has to be handsome, good looking, a nice and good guy, he has to smoke and he also has to play guitar. By this time I knew his name, Miel, not a name I really liked at that time. I was in High School [late due to World War II] and Suze told me that Miel went to High School before the war. She said, “If you need help with your homework, I’m sure Miel will help you.” Did I ever need help with my homework!!!”

Connie and her family moved to Holland in January 1951. Miel and his family moved there later in 1951. She was diagnosed with TB (tuberculosis) in 1952, was put on bed rest, and had to “lie in bed flat on my back” starting in October 1952. She was finally able to go back to work at Postcheque and Girodienst on August 2, 1954 (Miel’s birthday).

Connie was Catholic. Miel was Protestant. It was 1957. The old Catholic priest in Sassenheim told them they could not be married in the church but could be married in the sacristy. She wrote, “All that didn’t mean a thing to me, as long as I could marry my Miel and it was a Catholic wedding. I didn’t need our wedding ceremony in the church to feel happy.”

Connie, Miel, and Roy immigrated to the United States in October 1960 and Dan was born in Burbank in September 1965. She liked cooking and having parties especially birthday parties. She would cook all kinds of Indies food. Miel would barbeque sate. Her cooking ruined her sons’ future culinary adventures. Whenever they go to restaurants, you’ll hear, “This isn’t how Mam makes nasi goreng (fried rice), loempia (egg roll), ayam goreng (fried chicken), or any other Indo dish you could think of that she whipped up in “Connie’s Kitchen.”

Connie LOVED taking pictures. Back in the day, she could go through a roll of 24 or 36 film FAST. When the pictures were developed, you could stack them up, flip through them, and they would make a movie … and then her granddaughters started arriving. With the advent of digital cameras and cell phones, Connie’s picture taking (actually number of pictures taken) soared to new heights. She was also a wiz using her cell phone as those of you receiving her texts well know.

She was very proud of her family and if you met her, you were her friend. She loved writing down the names of everyone who wished her happy birthday on either her phone call list or text list. There was a friendly competition to be first on the list and some would call almost a month before her birthday. She was always asked, “What number am I?”

Connie was preceded in death by husband Emile Gilhuys; siblings Rene Mugie, Agnes Mugie, and Louis Mugie. She is survived by her sister Désirée Mugie and children Roy (Annette) and Dan (Laura); granddaughters Rachel, Megan, and Natalie.

Celebration of Connie’s life and a reception will be held on September 26 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. (California time) at Green Hills Memorial Park, 27501 S. Western Ave, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275. The live stream will be recorded and available for weeks after the celebration.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation, in her name, to torrancememorialfoundation.org.