IN MEMORIAM

 

Brod Petronio Grajo

 UP Diliman ’60

December 10, 1938 - May 14, 2016

 

 

 

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Betan Rites / Memorial Mass

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish

Lindenwold, New Jersey

 May 28, 2016

 

[Photos by Ted Quijano]

 

   

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

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Messages & Pictures

 

 

Brod Danny,


Just to let u know our dear Brod Pet Grajo passed away yesterday. Kindly inform other Brods.


Thanks and have a blessed Sunday.


TedQ
==============================

Just a few minutes ago, I received a message from Brod Ted Quijano that Brod Pet Grajo (Diliman 60) passed away yesterday.


Let us all offer a prayer for the eternal repose of Brod Pet's soul. May his soul rest in peace and may eternal light shine upon him.


May we all have a blessed Sunday.


DanG
==============================

ONCE AGAIN, A TIME TO GRIEVE
Willie Vergara 5/15/16
To: International, UPBSMembers

My Dear Brothers,

It is with profound sadness to announce the passing of another brod who brought so much joy to the fraternity through his songs - BROD PETRONIO "PET" GRAJO. This news came from Brod Ted Quijano, who emailed Brod Dan Galoso, who emailed me.

We don't have any details yet about Brod Pet's passing, but he has been nursing an illness for quite some time now.
May God keep our most beloved brother in His Loving Care.

Willie "Tatang" Vergara

==============================

So sad. He was such a gentle and likeable brod.
No cheers.


Ike
==============================

 

Dear Brothers,

The passing of our beloved Brod Pet is posted by Webmaster Brod Norman at flash news (www.upbsfi.org).

Also, please see attached a photo provided by Brod IkeA showing Brod Pet with Norman and Pastor Rod.

 



Sent with a certain sadness,
Willie "Tatang" Vergara
==============================
 

He was my kabatch and I had been in touch with him before he entered the hospital. His widow Dolly has asked for

privacy in their grieving. He leaves behind a handsome son.
Pet will also be remembered for his active Folkways singing and for that haunting love song he had composed in the

60s entitled "By Sun or Candlelight."
May he rest in peace.

-SluggoR
==============================

 

Sad news from Brod Nick Galvez this morning that Brod Pet Grajo passed away. Please say a prayer for him and his family.

No details yet.
 
 EricP
==============================


Sad news indeed.

Rest in peace Brod Pet. Say hi to all our Brods there as you join in their fellowship singing boisterously "Glory, Glory Beta Sigma. Glory, glory Beta Sigma." You have done well for the Fraternity.

My deep condolence to the family. No cheers.

Ed Abon, UPD Panzer 69A
==============================

This is sad news indeed. Please convey my sincere condolences to the Grajo family.


EdQ
==============================


tol -
I can't remember the exact date this photo was taken, I know it was at Edsel's house,
maybe 3 years ago? I also have it (photo) attached. Another sad day indeed!

 


Front Row: L-R: Ed Rivera, Manny Boado, Dan Galoso, Norman Bituin.
Back Row: L-R: Aman Carolino, PET GRAJO, Jun Valenzuela, Boi Wico, Ed Cornelia, Roy Antonio and Edsel Arceo.


Aman Carolino
==============================


In behalf of the UPBSF Central BOT, we condole with the family of brod Pet.
Our sincere prayers...

Jojo A.'79
==============================


Pet Grajo,
An ideal UP Beta Sigman, Fraternity Brod, and very personal friend.
Farewell....


Boi Wico
==============================

 

UP North Brods and Family mourn the lost of our Brod Pet Grajo.

May he rest in peace.

It feels sad to realize that we have lost another brother who helped make our Brotherhood outstanding. Brod Pet and the Barstool Singers and Folkways, made UP Beta Sigma stand out as a Fraternity known not only for campus politics and leadership, martial arts, camaraderie, chug-a-lugs, rumbles, etc, but also arts and culture. Truly, Brod Pet helped Beta Sigma become a fraternity of choice.

I will always remember Brod Pet's folk singing talent. Humble, jovial and always cheerful, I looked forward seeing him at the tambayan cause he always had a joke or funny story to tell. It was always a delight to hear him sing a folksong solo or together with Brods Boy Concepcion and Gilbert Joven.

We of the Brotherhood of the UP Beta Sigma are blessed to have had someone like Brod Pet among us. We will always remember him.

Farewell, Brod Pet.

 

   

 

Ding '65, Black Saints
==============================


Our batch 69a diliman had one session of our initiation in their apartment row under construction along Timog.

He noticed that Sher Gacho was wearing white socks and he asked "upsilon ka ba"? (Brod Pet had white socks on)
And to test Gacho's knowledge of the Credo he asked "what is the value of the fraternity pin?" Gacho replied

 "it's worthless master!". Gacho was not whacked so the mistake went unnoticed.
After we all passed our initiation we were impressed by Brod Pet as one of the kind and gentle senior Brods

with a good singing voice.
He'll be missed with fondness.

BoyetF
==============================

 

Date: Mon, 16 May 2016 10:39:00 +0000
From: mybbob1123@yahoo.com
To: tatang_up@hotmail.com

 

So sad to hear that Pet would be exporting his folksongs "up" there. Baka magamit mo itong mga litrato ng Folkways 69 altho medyo poor quality ang mga kuha.....two things I vividly remember about him. He said he never liked their group name, The Barstool Singers, and when some newly-minted brods were showing off their "paso" at the tambayan, Pet remarked that wala

pang pasuan in 1960 but that "doesn't make me a lesser Betan....."

 

 

 

 

BobbyM
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Rest in eternal peace ka-batch Pete. When we were amuyongs, you came to Los Banos almost every weekend (June-July 1960) when we were producing the musical play South Pacific. You and the other kabatch from UP Fine Arts, Sluggo, did the paintings on the backdrops of the play (the beach scenes with coconuts, etc.) We will also remember your Betan singing forays in Los Banos! (Folkways? etc.)

Tony Frio UPLB'60
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Back then, Folkways was not complete without Brod Pet and the other brods singing our favorite songs. Those were very memorable times. He will be missed. Rest in peace Brod...


Rey Bello 69
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I join the brods in praying for the eternal repose of Pet's soul.
Pet : artist, folksinger, guitarist.
In the tough campus environment he and the brods lived in,
Pet was the peace seeker and peace maker.
Beloved Pet, farewell. We'll surely miss you.

pol65 upd and the black saints.
==============================


Please extend my condolences to the family of the late Brod Pet Grajo D60 who was a mainstay of Beta Sigma's Folkways.

May his soul rest in peace. With all our prayers,


Bing Garcia
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May the Brod Pet’s spirit find its way back to the Creator; and may his family find consolation that he is now in eternal peace.

Carlo Malabanan
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We mourn the passing of Brod Pet Grajo, UPD60. He is assured of a special place in the history of our fraternity. In the early sixties when we had control of many organizations, we also wanted to capture the soul of the campus and define its culture. We did that with Folkways. It was more than a hootenanny of folk and protest songs. It spoke of what we were -- young, mostly poor but unconcerned about material things, and restless to put our imprints on the national scene. When Folkways opened I could not forget how the campus crowd responded with waves upon waves of acclaim as Brod Pet strummed his guitar and belted out the songs of Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. By the time he burst out with "We shall Overcome", he had them by the cusps of his hands and with them lifted the fraternity to new heights of distinction. We will not forget those soul-stirring and frenzied days. Salamat sa iyo Brod Pet.

 
VicR62upd
==============================

 

As ever, Sec Vic Ramos, your eulogies of our Brothers you know quite well as so touching, so elegant, so glorious, so historically accurate and descriptive, and so brotherly. May the Lord above grant you a long life, as we mourn the passing of Brod Pet Grajo,

a brod who elevated the fraternity through his golden voice.

God bless Brod Pet. God bless our beloved Fraternity.

tatang
==============================

 

all done. meaning a copy was made and framed.
this will be given to dolly.

 


wahlee'63
==============================


It is with sadness that I share my brother's prayer for peace and comfort to the family of our departed and beloved Pet. Bro. Vic's eulogies perfectly recall my fond campus memories of a Betan music icon in many glorious Betan events: Folkways, Lantern Parade, and DMST days with Boy Morales. God bless his soul.

Bro. Tito Campomanes
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I join the Beta Sigma Fraternity in extending my condolences to the family of the late Brod Pet Grajo, the Legendary Betan Folkways Songs Artist and Singer ...

mon ventura BlackSaints' 65
==============================

 

listening to The Barstool Singers with brods Pet Grajo, Matti Castaños and and Freddie De Leon was a privilege during my cub years in Diliman. Campus supremacy was a given when one speaks of UP Beta Sigma. Secretive envy coated with jealousy among other greek-lettered brotherhoods is a norm during those days. And they have good reasons to be afflicted with such. Aside from being the brightest in the academic portal, the mere sight of the Betan populace proudly wearing those black shirts with our seal and Malmon's is enough jaw-dropper whenever and wherever we congregate. We were just a swarm of 'lookers' that is impossible to ignore. The Student Council, the Philippine Collegian, Cafa Singers, Varsity, Filipinescas, name it and we were there. Aside from being known for martial arts and academics, we left a huge footprint in the field of music. "Folkways" was huge during those hootenanny days. While the sorority called Upsilon Sigma Phi (aka Pepsis) were brandishing their flashy cars and their elitist "All That Jazz" concerts, "Folkways" was quaking the Diliman grounds enough to generate a spike in the Richter scale. Betan "Haranas" were eagerly awaited by swooning occupants of Sampaguita, Kamia and Ilang-Ilang dormitories all because of the magic and elegance of brod Pet's lead voice. It was different. His pulsating and rhythmically correct vocal chord easily commands attention, and even addiction. Their music, later perpetuated by kabatch Gilbert Joven and brod Boy Concepcion, energized the popular playlist during those decades - Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary and even The Everly Brothers.
He was a gentle brod with pocketful of smiles. He is as peaceful as his music, creamed with tonal crescendos of his personal advocacies. This is the Pet Grajo i know. The Pet Grajo that i will always treasure.
Brod Pet, May we salute your departure and thank you for the 500 Miles that you spent with us. The Almighty is waiting for you to enjoy an Early Morning Rain by His side.

Paalam Kapatid.
rgr'66

==============================


Brod,
Thank you for that excellent nostalgic write up of the UP Beta Sigma Golden Days at UP Diliman campus! I think I was on a 2 and a half year scholarship for my Ph.D. abroad during those golden years! I believed that was also the time when there more than 50 vet Betans in the College of Veterinary Medicine too. Hence I did not have the privilege of seeing the performance of Brod Pet Grajo. In behalf of the Vet Med Betans, Please extend our condolences to his family. Thank you.


Brod Ted Topacio Vet Med '49
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Brod Rolly:

You captured all our sentiments and memories of the memorable years with Brod Pet Grajo et al. Thanks so much Brod Rolly.

Brod Pet and all the brods who have left us here still on earth are all enjoying eternal rest and peace and I am sure some chug-a-lugs as they sing ‘Cheers, Cheers to Beta Sigma, bring out the whiskey bring our vodka . . .”

Thanks Brod Pet for giving us one hell-a’va enjoyable ride in the 60s with you music and your fraternal friendship.

Brod Ben Pires [Diliman ‘64]
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It was an honor to be with “The Voice" in this picture - year 2013.

 


RGR

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I had a chance to sing (in a practice) with The Barstool Singers. This was the time when Brod Matti opted to retire and gave a chance to other folk singer brods. I spent a lot of time singing folk songs with Brod Pet and Brod Boy C. Unfortunately for me, a Brod with a better voice quality and a higher pitch (wh ich was what they needed then) took the slot. It was Brod Gilbert Joven.
Nonetheless, it was a great and splendid experience having "blended " with a great folk singer as Brod Pet.
Without you, The Barstool Singers will never be the same again, but it will always be in our hearts. Folk singing, which you led in

the 60's, was one of the highlights of the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity's aura - at its best.
Our condolences to your family and may your soul rest in peace!

Ollie P. Santos, Black Saints '65
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I never met Brod Pet Grajo. We were a decade and geographically apart. He was UPD '60 and I was UPLB '70. Nevertheless, I heard of him from UPLB brods of the early '60s and from UPD brods during our occasional trips to Diliman in the early to mid 70's. Accounts of Brod Pet and his singing prowess during Folkways and Harana events were told over and over. That is the mystic of UP Beta Sigma Fraternity -- the proverbial umbilical cord that connects us all, bolstered by the never ending stories recollected everytime we get together. It is sad indeed that we lost another brother and we mourn, but we move on until we meet again in the big jug-a-lug hereafter. Brod Pet, rest in peace. I never met you but I know of you. A Beta Sigman through and through.

Jim Gonzalvo, UPLB '70B
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I join the whole fraternity in prayer for soul of brod Pet Grajo. May his soul through the mercy of God rest in peace.

My prayers and condolences to Pet's family.


Cesar Antonio
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I don't mean to intrude on this very personal time for those who spent their youth with Brod Pet. I didn't know him and maybe met him in some of our events many a time, but I don't have what you had with him. So please forgive me but I couldn't help but express my appreciation and admiration for him and all of you who came before us that defined a great Fraternity we were fortunate enough to inherit.

The pictures put an image to an oral history that we all learned about at the Tambayan in the 80's and 90's. We too were very proud of the Folkways, for reasons unexplained except that the glow of its fame permeated even to our generation. I fondly remember frequent jamming sessions at the Tambayan and the Harana at the Ladies' Dorms. I don't know of any other "boy groups" that did that. A frail attempt perhaps at replicating the musical prowess of Pet and the Barstool Singers but the stirrings were there. The seeds had already been planted two decades past.

God bless your soul Brod Pet. Thank you for helping make us who we are. Bitsigma!

Jig Reyes 87G
==============================

 

Ten years ago, in Sept. 2006 on the occasion of the UP SoCal Frat Ball in LA, Brod Pet entertained us when he belted a few

songs on our hospitality night. From the picture immediately below, I did a cut out and made a framed souvenir photo. I handed

it to Pet at his house in Somerdale, NJ on my stopover in Philadelphia to Dublin in 2013. I captured these fraternal moments in a Travelogue article, "Kasalan sa Ireland", in our website, of which I pasted some parts below. 

 

     

 

     

 


 

 

Brod Pet,

 

We can hear you. In our hearts you'll always be "Blowin' in the Wind".

 

NormanB, UPD'65 Black Saints

 

 

*Web note: In Memoirs and Reminiscenses, Pet wrote (simply click-->) "A History of Folkways".

 

 

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