Remembering Our Departed
First of a Series
 

Brod Ray Matulac
By Brod Norman Bituin

According to his brother, Art, Ray suffered his fatal heart attack (his 2nd) after playing 2 games of jai-alai in a fronton in Project 8. Ray was given CPR at the site and was rushed to Veterans Hospital, where he succumbed. Ray was a well-known pelotari and was an officer in his pelotari group. There were on-and-off talks on the reopening of Manila Jai-Alai. Accord-ing to his friends, Ray was trying to get back in condition in case he got a call to play professionally again.

Ray was Officer-in-Charge of the Dept of Labor based in Subic that was handling mostly arbitration cases. He was just promoted to this top position last October. Ray is survived by his wife, Tessie Bautista-Matulac, and their 2 sons: one in 4th year high school and one in 3rd grade. Ray's oldest son from his first wife, who lives in San Francisco, is a computer instructor in the Philippines. Tessie also works at the Dept of Labor based in San Fernando.

Art mentioned that many Betans paid their last respects to our departed brod. They put the Beta Sigma fraternity pin on his barong-Tagalog. Ray was buried in Tessie's hometown in San Miguel, Bulacan.

I couldn't hold back my tears and actually had a good cry while I was driving back from work the other day. Though I met and spoke with the bigger, "shorter-haired" version of Ray at our 50th anniversary at Shangrila Hotel, after a 25-year absence, the vision of Ray that I see is the young, wavy-haired Betan in blue jeans with the boyish smile, natural charm and handsome face. I guess that's how I'll always remember Ray - from the streets of Cubao where we lived and in the campus of UP where we became BRODS. Ray's gone, but the youthful memories will linger forever.
 

Brod Butch Flores
by Brod Eric Punzalan

Brod Rodolfo, better known as Butch, was among our beloved members of the Northern California Chapter. His family is commemorating his 5th death anniversary this coming July 22. His wife Mayette continues to be in touch with us and even placed an ad in his memory.

Butch and Mayette, both government professionals when they were in the Philippines, achieved many awards in their respective fields, he in veterinary medicine and she in education. Butch spent a year in UK earning a Masters' degree in Tropical Veterinary Science at the Univ of Edinburgh and additional post-graduate studies at the University of London. He was one of the country's foremost experts on foot-and-mouth disease and his knowledge was sought by those in the high circles of government.

Butch left the Philippines for the US in 1982 since he strongly felt strongly that his children will not have a better future if they remained in the Philippines. The political turmoil that followed his departure in the Philippines proved him right. At that time of their departure, Raymundo and Rodolfo, Jr. were in college, his daughter Maria was a high school sophomore and his youngest, Rene, was a 4-year old toddler.

Butch struggled to send his children to school, and the fruits of his perseverance are great: Raymundo, a 1987 graduate of UC Berkeley, finished Respiratory Therapy at Skyline College and now works as a research assistant at Genentech, a foremost biotech firm in the world. Maria finished high school with honors in the US, and got her Biological Sciences degree at UC Davis, and is a quality control Analyst at Systemix, a rival of Genentech in the biotech industry. His little boy Rene grew up to be an upright, handsome young man and just finished high school.

Once his children were asked what they could remember about their father. Their common answer: his loyalty and dedication to them.

Certainly, Brod Butch must be very happy up there knowing that he has left behind a beautiful legacy.
 

Brod Boy Vera
by Brod Vee Vera

Our Brod Boy passed away last April 11. He was survived by his wife Belen and daughters Meona and Roxanne. He was buried in Munoz, Nueva Ecija where he served as chief security for Brod Mayor Enklinks Alvarez, also his brother-in-law.

He was at the same time doing numerous socio-political projects for Munoz, the town he chose to settle in after leaving Los Angeles in 1995.

A true big-hearted Betan, he ventured prominently into almost all aspects of Betan life. There's not a few who did not know him. He made so many lives happy wherever he was - Betan or not. He enjoyed Betan life so much and I know for a fact that many brods have very fond memories of him. A happy person, he made everybody laugh - from East Coast to West Coast.

For those of us who have been fortunate enough to be touched by Boy, say a little prayer for him. Truly a Betan from head to foot, we will miss him a lot. I certainly miss him not only as a Betan but as my big blood brother as well.

For memorabilia and donations, please contact me at 4433 Irish Hills Dr. Apt 2-D, South Bend, IN 46614.