Paalam, Tatang Teofisto!


































I was doing my usual routine upon getting into the office on June 27 morning when I saw a message from my sister Bing informing me that Tatang Teofisto had passed away the previous night. I immediately called Kuya Rex to offer my condolences and told him that I will try to fly to Manila on the weekend for the last night of the wake and for the burial on Sunday morning. Thankfully Cebu Pacific had started flying from Bangkok to Manila at a schedule where I could arrive early Saturday and leave late Sunday evening. It would also give me a chance to visit with my brother's family.

I remember Tatang mostly because of my Mother's sister, Tita Conching. I know she loved him so much that she doted on him. I also remember my mother mentioning to me that we had to be careful about the spellings of our names in public documents to make sure that all match. Apparently, all the University records of Tatang were written under the name Quintos instead of Quintas which resulted in having to file affidavits to correct the spelling of his name. I also remember that he went to Japan on a scholarship. Tatang Teofisto was an engineer (I think a mechanical engineer if I am not mistaken). He spent most of his like working for the Azucarera Central owned by the Dolor Family in Balayan Batangas, at one point heading the operations for them.

I was told that Tatang who was working as a consultant for the Azucarera joined in a party across from their house. Ironically, it was some sort of a remembrance of another colleague that had passed away. As would happen in this gathering, people would talk about happy and funny times. It seems like Tatang was laughing very hard at one of these stories that he ended up having a heart attack, one he would not survive. He was a few weeks shy of his 81st birthday.

So I hope everyone else would do a much better remembrance than I, who had been away from the Philippines since 1990. But I had to go home and condole personally with my cousins who for the most part had always been there when my own mother was going through a difficult time when her kidney started failing and her recovery from her fall had been very slow. My cousins in Manila would visit her regularly and this made the last months a happy one. So to Kuya Boy, Ate Linda, Kuya Rex, Kuya Steve, Marj in Sydney, Kat in New York, I offer you my sincerest condolences.

I felt that it would be more appropriate if I placed the funeral pictures in a separate like for other people to be able to see the pictures taken during the funeral and the burial. Click here to view the pictures of Tatang Teofisto's funeral

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