by Harry Mosquera
Abby Lee-Jimenez, one-half of the legendary husband-and-wife team behind the creative juggernaut Jimenez Basic, died last February 26, 2016 at the age of 58. She leaves behind her husband Mon, her daughters Nina and Sassa, and her beloved dogs. She also leaves behind a legacy of creative excellence and leadership to inspire and guide local advertising practitioners.
To friends and colleagues in the local advertising industry, the Mon-and-Abby team at their peak was awe-inspiring. Creative and entreprenurial, they grew a small ad agency into one of the biggest and most influential in the country. For those who have worked with this power couple, Mon and Abby were brilliant strategists and the most convincing salespeople. To their employees, they were humble and thoughtful bosses who were genuinely caring and highly generous. Clients had a great regard for them, and respected them for their vision and the consistency of their work. And for many, especially women in advertising, Abby in particular was a trailblazer and role model.
Mio Chongson, COO of Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, recalls Abby as a stern figure, but with a mother-like concern for others. “The moment you’d hear her voice say “Mio, proceed to Control now” (Control was the name of the bosses’ room), you would walk (in) shaking,” she says. “You knew she would never throw you under the bus, and your welfare was always her lookout. At work, she was never emotional. Yet during my wedding, Abby was the only woman in the church who cried unabashedly as I marched down the aisle, leading some people to think she was my Mom. In my post-Jimenez career, I’d ask her for advice, and she would always tell me to be a tiger lady, be strong willed and never flip flop on decisions. All told, she was an extraordinary woman.”
To Chinky Veloso, executive business director at WOO, Abby was a strong, practical, and no-nonsense boss, who expected the best from, and for her people. “She was brilliant but never self-absorbed, never hogged the limelight,” Chinky notes. “She would push the work and yet would genuinely care that it shouldn’t be just about the work for you, that you should have a good life outside of work. She was a truly kind and soft-hearted person who touched the lives of all of us who feel so fortunate to have worked with her.” This is the same sentiment shared by award-winning director Sockie Fernandez, who describes Abby “a combination of both heart and strength.”
But perhaps the quintessential Abby is best described by a close family friend, Cherry Gambol, who herself was a pioneering creative director in the local advertising industry. “None comes close to Abby,” she says. “She lived her life truly, bravely, and beautifully.”
Harry Mosquera was a former senior correspondent at adobo magazine.
Read Harry Mosquera’s article about the power duo, Mon and Abby Jimenez, first published in the September-October 2006 issue of adobo magazine.
