Ricardo Tagle Jr – Eulogy
February 6, 2013
Born on January 28th, 1934 in Baclaran, Manila, Philippines
And raised in Santa Barbara, Pangasinan
Ricardo Tagle Jr.
Son of Ricardo Tagle Sr. & Tarcela Tagle
Brother to 9 siblings
Husband to Beatriz Tagle
Father to 6 children
Grandfather to 12 grand kids
Great Grandfather to 5, soon to be 6 grand children!
And now an Ancestor on January 28, 2013, he has reunited with other ancestors who have lived on this earth as our family, friends and relatives. Let us honor the life of our dearly beloved Ricardo Tagle Jr.
With a warm heart and a resilient spirit,
With a quiet demeanor and hard working attitude,
With hair styled with palm olive oil and clean, well dressed clothes,
With both a red and blue Monte Carlo,
With a comb in his pocket and a cigarette in his mouth,
With natural master chef cooking skills,
With four languages wrinkled in his tongue,
Ricardo Tagle Jr. lived a good 79 years of life.
When a person passes away pieces of their soul stay with us in the form of fond memories. We all remember Ricardo Tagle Jr. in different ways. When I asked people in our family what they remember most here is what they had to say:
*He loved to go fishing & crabbing with his lifelong friend Rudy Dumlao
*He took care of his grandchildren and great grand children with unconditional love.
*He was an early riser. He had breakfast ready before anyone woke up and before his family got home dinner was already prepared.
*He sneezed real loud and he would always sneeze 5 times straight.
*When he was younger he was Guapo. He had all the girls. He was a romantic.
*He disciplined his kids in his own way and always emphasized getting a good education. With his quiet demeanor, you knew when it was time to straighten up just by how he looked at you or when he did his classic, “Psst”
*He was a good dancer in Boogaloo & Cha Cha
*He loved singing Frank Sinatra’s “I did it my way,” or Englebert Humperdick’s “After the lovin’ & “Spanish eyes” ……. most likely in dedication to my grandma Betty.
*Grandpa Rudy & Grandma Trini recalled how Grandpa Rick would throw his
spear in the water to catch edible frogs & fish.
*He made the best adobo & menudo & he could cook just about any vegetable out there…. Mixed garlic & fried rice….. cut up spam & scrambled eggs……. Or mixed onions with corned beef! And we all were given our glass of Sunny Delight for our vitamins. Grandpa made sure that even though he didn’t say much to us, his love was felt in our stomachs.
He lived a life expressing unconditional love:
At the age of 22, Ricardo Tagle Jr. married Beatriz Vilotta on Feb 10th, 1957. Grandma Betty happily shares with me how they started dating. It all started with my grandma being sick for 2 weeks and having to stay home from school. When my grandma was feeling better she decided to watch a movie. While riding in the back of a Jeepney, my grandpa Rick came in and asked her what she was doing. They ended up having breakfast that day and watching one of my grandma’s favorite movies. Every Saturday since they went out and 3 months later the rest is history…… Sounds like a classic Filipino Novella
At the age of 32 years old on June 8th, 1966, Ricardo Tagle Jr. immigrated from the Philippines to America with my grandmother and 6 kids as a result of Great Grandpa Ricardo Tagle Sr’s efforts as a veteran during World War II.
In America, Ricardo Tagle Jr. joined his large extended family in the San Francisco, Bay Area. The house on 38 Dartmouth St. that my grandparents worked so hard for was a refuge for all family members to find love and support in. Many family members at different stages of their lives have lived at 38 Dartmouth St. and my grandparents never asked for anything in return. They were just happy to be willing to help, no questions asked. The door was always open no matter what time of night it was or under whatever circumstance. Grandpa & grandma made sure that 38 Dartmouth St was a home for all!
He loved his grandchildren dearly. Grandpa Rick was always there for us. He picked us up from school when we were little. When he worked at the Blue & White Fleet in Fisherman’s wharf Grandpa Rick always gave us free tickets to ride around the Bay. These are moments that we will cherish forever.
He taught us how to give from your heart:
Uncle Romeo shared that when Grandpa Rick & Grandpa Rudy Dumlao caught too much fish or crabs they would just give them away, asking for nothing in return. Auntie Rose proudly reminded me that when Grandpa Rick would take all of his grand children to the corner store on Silver Ave, even if he didn’t have any money, he would let all the grandchildren get whatever we wanted and he would tell the store clerk that he would pay her back. He always found a way to make us happy, to keep a smile on our faces and in doing so Grandpa Rick was showing us his love in his own way!
Grandma Betty remembers Grandpa Rick coming home from working in the fields of Delano with bags of grapes & apples. Grandpa Rick would go door to door on our block and generously give away the fruits he had picked to show people in our neighborhood that he cared for them in his own way. Ricardo Tagle Jr. is part of a strong legacy of Filipino farmworkers in America who helped raise a nation as a result of their hard work and sacrifices.
The deep love my grandpa Rick had for his family influenced his decision to stop drinking so that he could take better care of his health and live long enough to help raise 3 generations of his own family. I admire grandpa Rick’s personal will power because it is a strong statement that people can change in the name of family and God.
I often wondered what Grandpa Rick thought about when he was taking care of his garden in the backyard of 38 Dartmouth St. Was he remembering days picking fruits & vegetables in the fields of Delano with Great Grandpa and his other brothers? Was he wondering what vegetable he would use for the evenings dinner? Was he traveling back to his life in Santa Barbara, Pangasinan as a fisherman? Was he speaking to God through the plants and beauty of nature? Towards Grandpa’s last years I remember him just going to the backyard, sitting in front of his garden and being at peace……
Grandpa Rick taught us one last lesson on the day he passed. Since he passed on his birthday he reminded us that despite our sadness & confusion over death, it can also be a celebration, a celebration that a new life is beginning for Grandpa Rick.
With a warm heart and a resilient spirit,
With a quiet demeanor and hard working attitude,
With hair styled with palm olive oil and clean, well dressed clothes,
With both a red and blue Monte Carlo,
With a comb in his pocket and a cigarette in his mouth,
With natural master chef cooking skills,
With four languages wrinkled in his tongue,
Ricardo Tagle Jr. lived a good 79 years of life.
Rest in Peace Grandpa Rick. We hope you are having a good time reuniting with family and ancestors of before….. We will see each other again when we all make it to the other side….. And we look forward to you greeting us with your warm words, “Did you eat? Go eat!” We love you Ricardo Tagle Jr…..Tatay……Grandpa Rick…..Uncle Jr…… Tomorrow you will be buried on February 7th and isn’t it beautiful that February 7th is also Great Grandpa Ricardo Tagle Sr’s birthday. You were a gift to us all, may you continue to be a gift in the next life…..
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