Brod Adolfo "Dopoy"
Garcia
UP Diliman 1973b
[Updated: 16 June 2011]
From: Vivien Minza-Garcia <vienmgarcia@yahoo.com>
To: Lem Michelena <lemmichelena@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thu, June 16, 2011 4:28:22 AM
Subject: Thank God for the Betans! - Dopoy's TRUE Brothers
Dearest Lem and Laureen,
I and the boys will never forget how you both stood by us throughout our
sufferings, from the time Dopoy was diagnosed till the time we have to lay
him to rest. As with the all the brods who came to our rescue, You will
always be our beloved HEROES! So please help us email to all the brods our
following message to them:
TO THE BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY AND LADIES CORP (USA, Canada and the
Philippines)
On behalf of Adolfo G. Garcia (DOPOY) we, his family would like to express
our heartfelt gratitude for all your loving support, from the time he was
diagnosed with cancer, throughout the five (5) months he valiantly fought
it, to the time he was laid to rest, you were there for us.
Dopoy's batchmate, Dave de La Torre wrote in his eulogy that "Dopoy gave
unconditionally, consistently and conscientiously." I would like to return
the compliment to you, his beloved Betan Brods. You gave where it mattered
most to his wife and children, who were afraid and feeling so alone and
financially down and who had to cope with caring for Dopoy and struggled
to survive on a day to day basis.
You came and stood by us, quietly but ever so truly giving and sustaining
us "unconditionally, consistently and conscientiously." To us, You are
Dopoy's TRUE Brothers, and we are forever grateful to God for blessing us
with you. As you know, Dopoy always cried whenever he was deeply touched
and overwhelmed by all of your loving support.
You reached out to us and lifted us up just when we thought we were about
to sink. We did not even have to ask you nor have to say much that we
needed help. You just already knew and understood with your loving,
caring, kind and compassionate hearts. Dopoy and us, his family never had
experienced such an outpouring of unconditional love and support before
that you his beloved Brods gave us at this hardest and saddest time of our
life. It felt like you, his beloved brods and sis, carried us through this
ordeal.
To us, The Beta Sigma Fraternity has attained God's definition of what
TRUE BROTHERHOOD is.!
May God Bless The Beta Sigma Fraternity and its Ladies Corp all over the
world!
We cannot thank you enough, but you will always have our deepest love and
respect.
Vivien, Pipoy, Macky, and Stan (Garcia)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sa ating pagtanda mga
kapatid
Joel Paredes'73d
BIGLA akong naluha nang makita ko sa
aking Blackberry Messenger na patay na si Brod Dopoy Garcia. Nasa Tacloban
ako noon nang ito ay ibalita ni Brod Dave dela Torre, isa sa mga ka-batch
ni Dopoy sa ‘73B. Agad-agad akong umalis sa aking miting dahil ‘di ko na
mapigil ang aking kalungkutan.
Si Dopoy ay ‘di lamang kapatid, kundi matalik na kaibigan. Wala yatang
araw na ‘di ko siya nakita sa lumang tambayan tuwing me pasok. At walang
weekend na ‘di siya dumadalaw sa aming bahay naming dahil ilang bloke lang
ang layo ng boarding house nila ni Mike Cruz sa UP Village. Kung may
rumble, kasama rin ni Dopoy sa grupo ng mga ‘Batang Village’.
Tulad ni Brod Dopoy, ako rin ay naniwala na kailangang baguhin ang ating
lipunan para mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang nakararami na maiahon sa
kahirapan at pang-aabuso ng iilan. Pero tulad ng marami sa atin, sobrang
nanaig kay Dopoy ang prinsipyo ng ating kapatiran.
Ganyan din ang aking naging tingin kay Ding Navarro na huli kong nakitang
masaya, dalawang araw bago siya maoperahan. Nadaan ako sa PRRM at nang
silipin ko siya, ‘di maawat si Ding sa kaniyang pagpapaliwanang sa
kaniyang mga kausap. ‘Yun na pala ang kaniyang pagpapaaalam sa kaniyang
staff. Nang muli ko siya makita, nagpapaalam na tayo sa isang yumaong
kapatid.
Marami siguro ang ‘di nakakakilala kay Brod Pacquing, isang masayahing tao
noong late seventies na ang pangalan noon ay Henry. Pero noong ma-TV at
mailathala sa mga tabloid na nadaaanan ng bus na nakahagip sa kanya sa
kanto ng EDSA at Aurora Blvd sa Cubao ay Xavier Pacquing. Nagkatanungan
pa. “Si Pacquing nga ba ‘yan?”
Sinamahan tuloy kami ni Bitoy Sison na isa ring masayahin brod ng mga
residente para alamin nga sa punerarya kung ito nga ang ating nawawalang
kapatid. Wala na yung makapal n’yang itim na salamin dahil naka-contact
lens na daw pala siya. Pero sa kalasingan ay ‘di na rin n’ya naiwasan ang
trahedyang sinapit n’ya.
Nang umuwi ako bigla kong tiningnan ang kaniyang Facebook account at
nakita ko ang mga drawing ni Malmon sa kaniyang koleksiyon. Talagang
masayahin pa rin ang mga asta n’ya sa mga retrato.
Kahit isang araw lang ang nagawang anunsiyo, maraming brods ang dumating
sa final rites ni Xavier Henry Pacquing. Malungkot ang gabing ‘yon pero
bago kami umalis lubos ang pasasalamat ng kaniyang maybahay na si Pinky at
dalawang anak na noon lang nakakita ng mga brods. Dahil nga raw nag-abrod
si Pacquing at ‘di na lang namin masabi na nagkaron ng isang problema ang
brod na ito nang siya ay paalis na sa kampus.
Siguro talagang matanda ang ating kapatiran -- at maramng mga kapatid --
kaya’t ‘di na natin maiwasang malagasan ang ating hanay. ‘Di na rin natin
masabi kung magkikita-kita pa tayong lahat balang araw. Kaya’t ‘di
maiwasan ang halos walang katapusan kwentuhan tuwing nagkakasama tayo .
Dahil ‘di na natin makikita pa ang labi ni Brod Dopoy, nagpamisa na lang
tayo sa UP Chapel at nagdaos ng final rites sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon
sa tambayan mismo.
Pilit tayong nag-aalaskahan at nagbabalitaan nang hapong ‘yon pero
napansin ko na ‘di maalis ‘yung lungkot ng mga brods sa pagpapanaw ni
Dopoy at sa sunud-sunod na mga trahedyang dumarating sa ating mga kapatid.
Kahit ako napadasal na sana ‘wag naman madalas ang ganitong mga pagkikita.
‘Di ba kaya nga tayo sama ng sama sa mga pagtitiipon ng fraternity matapos
ang ilang dekadang seryosong pagtratrabaho ay para maranasan muli ang saya
nang tayo ay mga residente pa? Tama naman dahil ‘di ko talaga makita ang
pagkakaiba natin sa mga batang brods kundi sa ating puting buhok,
naglalakihang tiyan at medyo pagiwas sa maiingay na lugar.
Dati nga, ayoko nang mag-gin dahil nakakasuka na pero ngayon masarap na
naman. ‘Yan pa rin ang paboritong inumin ng mga residente natin sa kampus.
Buti na lang dumarami na naman ang ating mga fellowship gatherings dahil
nga sabi natin tuwing may namamatay na lang yata tayo nagkakasama-sama.
Kaya nga siguro napapasama na rin ako kina brod Nugget Aquino, Cris
Michelena, Rolly Reyes, Jojo Alejar, Ron Justo, Rupert Ambil, Ick Angeles
at ilang mga brods na kasama sa BOD ng alumni association natin sa
pangungulit na dumalo tayong lahat sa ating Fraternity Ball sa June 16 sa
Richmond Hotel sa Eastwood. Aba, 65th anniversary na pala natin!
Sigurado ako na ito na ang isang yugto na ating haharapin sa ating
pagtanda mga kapatid. May mga kasayahan pero mayroon din mga panahon ng
kalungkutan.
[Updated: 15 June 2011]
Paalam Brod Dopoy
by Rolly Reyes'66
[Photos by Rolly Reyes & Leonard Reyes]
Ika-sampu ng Mayo, 2011
Isang makulimlim na hapon ang sumaksi sa pagtitipon ng kapatiran ng UP
Beta Sigma Fraternity sa kapilya UP at sa Tambayan sa loob ng UP kampus.
Sa pangunguna ni Father Brod Bing dela Cruz, taimtim kaming nanalangin sa
isang misang idinaos sa ilalim ng bubong ng ating simbahan na may mahalaga
at kalakip na ala-ala noong ating kamusmusan bilang mag-aaral sa
pamantasan. Magkasamang kalungkutan at kasiyahan ang aming nadama noong
hapong ito - kalungkutan dahilan sa maagang pagpanaw ni Brod Dopoy, isang
tahimik ngunit may wagas na pagmamahal sa ating pamilyang kapatiran -
kasiyahan sapagka't naibsan na ng paghihirap and kanyang katawang panglupa
at sa katiyakang nakahimlay siya sa tabi ng ating Poong Maykapal. Tigmak
ng lungkot na lumipat kami sa ating mabunying Tambayan sa may Business Ad
na gusali, kaibayo ng ating kinagisnang Tambayan sa may hagdanan ng AS.
Idinaos namin ang ritual ng pamamaalam ng UPBSF tangan ang mga kandila ng
pagmamahal, bukal at banal na pagdarasal upang ipadama kay Brod Dopoy ang
hinanakit ng aming kalooban na siya ay hindi na namin muling masisilayan.
Mula sa mga kapatid na residente at alumni ng kapatirang UPBSF, buong
galang naming inihahandog ang pagkakataong ito sa iyo BROD DOPOY at sa
iyong naiwang mga mahal sa buhay. Ipagdasal mo kaming lahat ng naiwan dito
sa kalupaan sa piling ng Iyong Lumikha.
Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice, UP Diliman
Father Bing dela Cruz
Joey Zulueta, Dopoy's batchmate
Rolly Reyes, UPBSF, Inc. Vice President
l-r: Joel Paredes, Diliman GP Josh Caringal, Cris
Michelena, Joey Zulueta & Perry Callanta
Residents and alumni join hands to honor the
memory of Brod Dopoy Garcia
Betan Tambayan, UP Diliman
"Gone but not forgotten"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eulogy for Brod Dopoy Garcia
Mass at 10:30 AM on Monday, May 30, 2011
Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church
17475 - 59th Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 1P3
Cremation after mass.
“Flowers in paradise”
My last pleasant memory of our fraternity brother Dopoy was in November 13
of last year, during the Beta Sigma Fraternity Ball. We had good
conversations that night, sharing good-natured jokes, made more agreeable
over stiff drinks and good laughs, as usual, still very much in touch with
the rhythms of that moment. In a way, one might say that we were just two
people, in our grown years – but, still, with youthful optimism and
enthusiasm, if I may add – just simple folks, with our graying hairs, our
minds in one place, not trapped by the past or in limbo because of the
scotch. We might say that we were just exchanging nostalgic bits over the
fading shadows of our years in U.P., just saluting completely those
distant years gone by, and responding accurately to them, never failing to
revere the experience of both the past and the present. For to live in
dialogue with one another, once in a while, is to live twice, such as what
Brod Dopoy and I had done in that brief moment of November 13. For sure,
in that exchange, our joys were doubled and our burdens were cut in half,
as with everyone who indulges in a similar interaction. All in the bond of
friendship and fraternal kinship.
But as fate would have it, not one of us ever realized that it would be
the last time we would enjoy each other’s company, together with the other
brods, when, in this last few months (5 months to be exact) of this year,
cancer had decided to intervene . . . so sudden as it was unwelcome, when
it came. And going back to that cold wintry, yet carefree, evening in
November and the sad news recently from our other brods about his untimely
demise, my thoughts couldn’t help but recall that 18th century eminent
poet, Thomas Gray and his memorable poignant poem, ‘Elegy,’ a poem which,
beyond its somber treatment of this business of dying, was also rich in
the imagery that death was, and is, nothing to be afraid of. And, I am
sure that Dopoy would share the same thoughts with us, even as he rests
now in the brightness of God’s loving presence:
“The boast of heraldry, the pomp of
pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth ever gave,
Awaits alike the inevitable hour.
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
“Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:
He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,
He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.
“No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in trembling hope repose)
The bosom of his Father and his God.”
Applying this in our
personal lives, death, even when accompanied on occasion, by its
sufferings, purify the final steps of our journey on earth. Each eulogy,
each prayer in the traditional requiem mass, with special prayers for the
dead, but ever new each time they are offered, are all caught up in the
movement of the soul, as our beloved Brod Dopoy, to its final encounter
with God.
Sometimes, a tribute, such as mine in honoring Dopoy, always seems just a
few sentences announcing his death. For, in the eulogy, as well as in the
sermons, we usually list the events that made up a person’s life. We
remember those who mourn their passing because separations, humanly, are
always so painful. Painful because we no longer are able to hold and touch
those closest to us and so loved still. Yes, no matter how much I will
try, the grief of Dopoy’s wife, Vivien, and their children, are
understandably too deeply rooted to be made softer with words -- for
life’s wounds, as we all know, take time to be healed even by precious
soothing words in a eulogy or tribute to do justice to a person’s life.
Yet, beyond words, as I now speak to Vivien, his children, the rest of his
family and friends, let this thought remain . . . that Dopoy will forever
remain a loved one, a memory of a great person, contained deep in each and
everyone’s heart gathered here today.
It is worthwhile, therefore, in remembering that in every human life there
is another movement of events, not too often spoken about but only
understood by those closest to them: “The Kingdom of God is within you.” A
story in its entirety only fully understood by God alone. And, for us, let
it just be that . . . our lives ultimately are like water flowing over a
stone. A river coming from the source of all life, God, and returning to
the source of all life, none other than, God. It is a journey of hunger
and faithfulness, craving the Father’s face to the end . . .
And with this, I end my tribute to Dopoy with the following reflections:
How much of our lives do we choose? How much really is marked out for us
in this earthly existence, long, long before we are born? That we will
never have knowledge of on this side of Eternity. Knowledge of this, we
will have . . . only of Him who is most lovable if we truly seek.
I thought about you, Brod Dopoy, as I prayed the prayers when first I
heard about the sad news of your passing, as we, in this gathering, tolled
the bell for your passing in our hearts. And yet despite everything, I
could not be sad with my heart being filled with joy. In a way I am also
happy for you and for those dear souls who have also gone with you, as
they had gone home to The Father’s House. For the reality you and those
with you on your final journey or movement, and had spiritually lived, is
flowing through now as it is being fully realized.
And soon, in God’s divine love and mercy, I know that this beloved brother
and child of God, with his spirit, shall rise again with Christ to the
heavenly gates and . . . “the Lamb at the center of the throne will be
their shepherd, he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes . . .”
(Rev. 7: 17).
You see, Vivien, your children, other family members and friends, whatever
is good, lovely, and of God . . . can never die. In Gods eyes these souls
are already flowers in paradise.
p.s.acampado, jr.
Vancouver '09: Brods Orlino Ancheta, Sandy Daza, Henry Josue, Abet de Gracia,
Tino Garcia,
Vic Battad, Jess Mallonga & Dopoy Garcia.
UP Beta Sigma
batchmates Bong Beredo & Dopoy Garcia in a Q.C. restaurant - 20 July 2001
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brod Dopoy, the geologist
{Photos from Dopoy's UP Geology AFAG
fraternity brods, Ramon Vamenta and Sandy Sales]
Cheers Brod Dopoy!!
*Web notes:
1. Vivien Minoza Garcia, wife of
Brod Dopoy and a Beta Sigma Ladies Corps, has expressed her gratitude to
all the groups
and
individuals who humbly extended their help to the family through their
prayers, words of faith and encouragement
and
financial support. Vivien is the niece of AFAG Gal Minoza.
2. Many UP Betans are members of
the UP Geology fraternity Association of Filipinos for the Advancement of
Geosciences,
Inc. (AFAG), to name some
we know: MacArthur Benitez, Pol Damasco, Ed Tadiar, Ces Aparato, Rey Juan,
Judz Rey,
Norman Bituin, Francis Santos, Bobby Gonzales.
3. Brod Dopoy spent a holiday weekend with
the UP Beta Sigma Northern California brods in Aug. 2008.
To read, go to
Features>Chapters>Northern California>Updates>2008 Aug 16; or simply
click here.
(Back ---> In Memoriam)
