A Message of Thanks

As stated earlier, the last post I will have on this will be my acknowledgements. Sent this earlier to friends and relatives but as expected I still missed some names. Below is the full text.

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This is a much delayed thank you note to all my friends and relatives who have helped and supported me during the unexpected passing away of my dear father. As you well know I am the only child so I had to do most of the work. A few days after the interment, I had to organize the ninth day novena and mass for dad.

I just can't go on with my interrupted new life without giving thanks to people who have helped a lot during those trying moments. Being the age of techonology, I would prefer to send this via email since I dont not have the addresses of all the people who I need to thank but many have emails.

First of all I would like to thank Tess and Arnel, the sister and brother I never had. Tess was with me in Bangkok and continued her vacation leave to be able to help fix all the papers in the hospital to Heritage Park. Since I couldnt reach my nearest cousin, I had to call Arnel to run to the hospital when I learned that dad was rushed. Thank you to Myrna who I asked to look after dad while I was out. She was the one who informed me that she had dad brought to the hospital.

Thank you to my cousin-in-law Lulu who helped me with details in the hospital, memorial plan, food in the wake and many other concerns. Lulu, Pls thank Fr. Anton too. Thank you to my cousins debbie, leo and joy for assisting us in the hospital and tita tessie who called them to assist me. Thank you tita ely for your supportive call from california.

Thank you uncle Jun (Icban) for running to the hospital to be with dad and helping call the higher ups in PAL as well as helping us get out of the airport in a jiffy.You have been dad's dearest and closest friend. Thank you too for the wonderful article regarding Dad in Manila Bulletin. It was a fitting tribute to a great man.

Thank you Fr. Boy Pablo for rushing to dad's side at the hospital to bless him and saying mass during the wake. Thank you Father Bernie, Fr. Alton and Father Faroni. I know Fr. Bernie that you had a company outing during dad's interment and I was told by your staff that no priest will be available but I was surprised to see you the parish priest, celebrate mass with Fr. Faroni and go to the Heritage Park to give the final blessing. I was very much touched with this gesture.

Thank you Tita, Tito Paquito and Tita Edna for all your support from Chicago.

Thank you very much Mr.Gigi Montinola for always being there to support me during those challenging times of my life.Thank you for helping me with Phil Airlines also. I think the whole PAL staff in bangkok went crazy tyring their best to help us.

Thank you Mr and Mrs Manny Bengson for all the help you extended, from the time my mother passed away till now. Thank you for using your vehicle again for the interment just like before. Philip has been very helpful.

Thank you Rowena (Rivera) for helping me out in many ways at the wake, from buying the first flowers at Dangwa way past midnight so I could have some cattleya and spray on dad's coffin when we brought him in midnight of tuesday up to buying the necessary groceries for the guests and those who slept over with me at the chapel. Thank you for sleeping over too since you know I will be alone to do everything.

Thank you Maritess (Cancio Suplico) for using your Goodwill Bookstore staff to assist me in all our needs - the use of your car for errands and everything else.

Thank you Donald (Lim) for the huge and prominent obituary you graciously rushed in Phil. Daily Inquirer. I was not sure whether to come out with one since Dad didnt really want me to inform anyone once he is gone. This is the reason I also dilly dallied.

Mel SD thank you very much for always trying to help in every way you can. I made "bilin" dad to you but I know you had to be out town that week. I was touched when you asked your mother to run to the hospital to check on us. I know that you never want your mother to see serious people in the hospital because of her condition but she was the nearest to you that you can ask. Thank you for all your help during the ninth day novena for dad.

Thank you to all my cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews (Zalazar clan - too long to enumerate everyone). Arlene and Gilda I received your card from New Jersey and Vancouver, thank you.

Thank you to my every loyal high school buddies Susan, Christine and Babs. I know that we are all oceans apart but you are always supportive during these times. Thank you susan for asking your mom and sisters in law to visit the wake. Thank you for all your overseas calls susan and christine. Thank you too to my college buddies Andy and Leni of course, who are all in the US but very supportive as always. Salamat also to Jojie kahit late ka magbasa ng email :) Thanks for your mom's call.

Thank you my college barkadas Wendy (and oskie of course) who helped get us some helpers for the funeral chapel and Lella (and your dad of course) who were the only college friends beside cynch and edwin who I was able to text regarding Dad. Thank you lella and Cynch (plus your mom) for all your support.

Thank you Jinna Jayme for coming early the first morning to extend your support. I was touched that you had to go out of your way to go to makati considering your condition. Thank you to your parents too for offering a mass for dad.

Thank you to all my college classmates who went to the wake and gave mass cards : salamat Rene E. that although you never attended any of our reunions including the silver jubilee you appeared in the wake to condole. Thank you Cynch and Edwin Totanes, Jun Naranjila, Joel Limjap, Ana and Jojo Mendoza, Paeng JavellanaManny Calejesan (straight from mindanao), Ed Wenceslao, Elma Tetangco, Myna and Ombet Gonzales, Cory and Bill Luz, Boyet Palma , Alex Cayaba, Carla and Manolet, Connie Gutierrez-Tran, Rissa ( I was touched that you also went with us to heritage park), Mon J represented by Greg J, Tina Legazpi, Ella Marzan, . Thank you Clarisse ( and to my friends in Innove Communications for the flowers- am not sure who sent them), Dennis David, Achoot and Joey, Winnie, and Ronnie for also sharing what you have been through taking care of your parents. Thank you Mandy for your calls even if you were in Vietnam at that time. Thanks to all who sent their sympathies: Val, Nerissa, Ana, Conrad our favorite, Gina Rialp Tan, Boy Reyes, Atoy, Eddie Dayrit, Raul Reyes ,Gary Ramirez, Aster Sotto, Alex Lim, Lino Sison, Melo Bautista, Susie Molina, Lilibeth Garcia. Bobby de Guzman, Lulu Cinco, Joy and Yoyo, Al Paez. Thanks Irma Cecilio for coming to the wake. My fellow ACIL catechists Ed Soriano, Mitchie Lugtu- Castaneda.

Thank you Nancy and Chinky for helping me get the water dispenser and for just being there. Both our dad's and Doc Angtuaco are now together in the other life.

Thank you to all my FCP family who visited the wake - my ex boss Ric (and Daisy), Jane, Senny, Rody and Juliet (including Norman of course!). Thank you Frankie, Rolly, Mayette, Nanette for your emails. I know you are all out of town/the country up to now. Thank you Eugene for all your kind words and calls from Bangkok. Hope to see you in Manila soon.

Thank you to all my DMA Phils family from Myrna, Jimmy, Fidel, Jun and Lirio (thank you too for the flowers from AZ Direct Mktg and AZ Access Phils Inc).

Thank you my dear friend Coret for all your calls from New York, your prayers, mass, and flowers. Thank you Bebette for the wonderful spray you gave my dad. Some thought my nickname was bebette :) because your boquet was in his coffin.

Thank you to my BPI family bank friends esp my direct marketing family (thanks for the flowers). Thank you to my dear friends Marissa ,Rose and Kit for all you have given and for attending the interment with Lap, Sonia and Tetchie thanks for the card, Ver, Lina, Boyet, Grace B, Beng and Ador, Malou A, Malou C, Stephen, and my ever loyal Dhang (sorry pag may nalimutan) and my ex officemates Liza Aton Mijares, Carol Hicban, Daisy Manio, Gas, Cindy, Yolly Diola and of course touched ako Nardy you attended the interment till Heritage Park. Thank you too to Ching Docot and Boy and Bibing.

Thank you to my BPI officemates: Thopee thanks for always being in the wake and serving at mass, Nora, Ann, Gladys, Rose Reyes, Rinna, May, Net B, Gaye and everyone in the emerging markets group, and Manjoy of course. Thanks Carol for making habol at heritage just to show your support. Thanks to my kumare Cynthia Zialcita for being with me at the wake as well as the interment. Thanks too to Kory L.

Thank you Ronni Tapia Merk for your support and getting the right person to sing at Dad's interment mass.

Thank you my amiga Bebeth (Espiritu) who went straight from the airport to the wake. I could no longer inform you we couldnt meet that day in bangkok for I had to rush straight to the airport. Thank you also to Chippy for being there at the interment.

Thank you to my dear friends in PICS starting from Norelyn who I know was responsible for spreading the news. I never had the time to inform people about dad's passing away. Everything was word of mouth. Thank you norelyn for having Dad's necrological ceremonies and Interment covered by video. Thank you Vic for the flowers and your call, Edna and Arnold for your presence and mass card, Mon, Bobby (thank you for the flowers from inq7.net technical staff), Mike and Winthrop for always being at the wake. Thank you Gina for the card and Mark for bringing me a microsoft jacket to keep me warm in that sometimes freezing chapel. Thank you Digna and Eric, Alistair, Vince, Wilson Chua and Bitstop Computer for sending flowers and your support, Carlos and Softrigger for your call and mass card.

Thank you to my other friends in the IT industry who sent their words of support, prayers or presence Dennis Valdes, Cynthia Mamon, Janette Toral, Marikor Akol, Mari and Enchang Kaimo, Dondi Mapa, Manny Amador, Becca dela Vega, Red Samar, Joey and Ellen Alarilla, Paolo Pineda and ABS CBN Interactive.

Thank you to our friends from the tour group : Mario and Lisbeth Malinis for all your support (and flowers from Royal Clean) and informing others, Tito Emy ( I think your trip in Canada had to be cut short for a reason, to say farewell to Dad), Raffy and the Geraldez Family, Vernie and the rest of the group.

Thank you TG Limcaoco for coming early in the morning when you read Dad's obit on the day of his interment.

Ruthie from Israel, thank you for having a mass said for dad at the Church of the Sepulchre. Dad will surely treasure that.

To my friends in Alliance class specially Albert who had to toggle between the wake of Belen's dad and mine, thanks for always being there for us.

To my worldtravel moderators dave, richard, chris and specially Maria who went out of her way to personally inform my cousin in Florida about dad. Thank you Mary P for your email. Thank you as well to everyone in MPWW who sent their kind words. I read them only recently after norelyn informed me of the messages for I was on web only mode.

Thank you to all who emailed, texted, called, I tried keeping all the messages on my phone which had been hanging due to memory overload unfortunately the vendor who sold me a new memory card accidentally deleted all the messages. I kept it since I was not able to reply to most of them and I was hoping to just thank all later. I hope I didnt forget anyone.

I made a couple of Posts with photos of Dad's wake till the Ninth Day Novena in my blog. For my friends and relatives abroad you can view this at http://mdtolentino.blogspot.com/ The whole story is there including the necrological services for dad. Its difficult to keep repeating the whole story so I decided to put it in a blog.

Thank you once again for all your support and friendship. You are all included in my prayers. Dad's 40th day will be on July 1, 2005. Please remember him in your prayers.

Below are the words written in Dad's marker:


Truly a great man. He lived his life to serve others.HILARION C. TOLENTINOPapal Knight Commander of the noble knighthood of the pontifical equestrian Order of St. Gregory the GreatOctober 21, 1923 – May 23, 2005Beloved husband and father, guardian and protector, our source of strength and joy.

Photo below taken just today. Dad's marker was just finished so I checked, visited and prayed for the two people who mattered most in my life.


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Dad's Farewell: Last Part

This may be the last part of my post regarding Dad's Farewell (except perhaps an acknowledgement post which I am still composing). Just needed to add more photos/anecdotes for posterity. I was able to scan it only recently and some friends and relatives esp outside the country were asking me about them.

Below are the priests who concelebrated the Interment Mass at the main church of St. John Bosco, led by the parish priest Fr. Bernie (St. John Bosco parish priest) , Fr. Anton Pascual (Lulu's brother), Fr. Faroni (dad's confessor), and the two representatives from the Nunciature and Vatican (one is Mons Mendez and the name of the second escapes me).


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Tess (the one reading the Word of God) is the sister I never had. She was with me in Bangkok and helped through the whole wake from the hospital to to the cemetery etc. She was also the one who helped me during mom's wake. I couldnt do all the paper work since I need to be at the wake.

Fr. Boy Pablo (St. John Bosco rector), rushed to the hospital when I called him from Bangkok asking him to bless my dad who I knew was being revived then.


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Thopee graciously served during Fr. Boy Pablo's mass for dad. He was my officemate at the emerging markets group in BPI and has always been supportive. He also served during one of the masses during mom's wake.


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Uncle jun is very close to dad. They eat out once a week and its the only time recently that dad goes out, when he has to eat lunch with uncle Jun. Thats why I called him immediately to go to dad's side that fateful monday.

The lady in the photo is tita tessie, mom's cousin. I called her too while at the bankok airport to help us get that booking for the next flight.


uncle j

Mr. Julian Malonso is the other close friend of dad. They had known each other even before I was born. They may not see each other that often but he is just like a brother to dad. He had been sickly and couldnt even attend dad's wake but he forced himself to come during the funeral and whispered to me that he wanted to talk about dad before the mass ended.

By the way, many people told me that saw a butterly flutter around the altar while Mr. Malonso was talking. Must be dad smiling at him and all of us.


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Below is my photo with Estela our helper for about a year now. She was the longest staying so far in the recent years who can tolerate dad's idiosyncracies due to old age. She insisted on going to the wake so I had to find someone to stay over at the house for a day.


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The Sisters from the Nunciature all trooped to dad's wake and sang prayers for him. Dad has always been close to the Nunciature even before I was born.

I had to call the controversial Bishop Marcinkus in Arizona to inform his of dad's passing away.


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I tried looking for the choir which sang during my parent's Golden Anniversary and mom's wake. They are favorites of dad but it proved to be difficult. I just recalled that they sing at the church near the railroad (what a lead!) so tried calling all possible churces near the area. Anyway, my officemate Ronni arrived when I was so exasperated and promised to bring a singer during the Interment Mass.

Reuben Lauerente from "The Company" came with Ronni the following morning and gave great rendtions of various songs from "Tanging Ina" (mom's fave) and a moving "The Prayer" whre everyone experienced goose bumps. Rueben's dad also just passed away late last year thats why perhaps his songs were all filled with emotions.


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Relatives from Bulacan (dad's side)


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Tita Lulu brought their parish priest from Novaliches to say the third mass that day. She shown below with me about to bless dad's remains.


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Relatives from Tayabas, Quezon (mom's side)


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My classamates who just all learned from forwarded texts of friends: cory with bill, boyet and alex, jun among others.

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My colege barkada wendy and lella who supported me during those times, Edso, with some officemates kit, jane, daisy etc.

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My cousin in law Lulu (who helped me a lot from the hospital to the wake) talking with my amiga, bebeth who went straight from the airport to the chapel. She was also in bangkok during that the time passed away but I coudlnt tell her about it. Other officemates with cousins in the photo.


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Collage of photos during the interment. Just click on the collage to get a better view.


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9th Day Novena for Dad

We held a mass at home for Dad's ninth day novena. Had been ages since we had visitors at home for since mom passed away dad never wanted to have parties there. It was herculean task to try to clean up.

Fr. Alton was out of town and only learned of dad's demise recently so he insisted on also concelebrating. He was very close to my parents. I just planned to have a few people for this mass dinner just riht for the more than a dozen chairs we have but then I received calls from some people in the province that they will come and some other people who just learned of dad's passing away including Lina's sister and brother.




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