Antonio Salang Daquipa

Antonio Salang Daquipa shed his earthly life shortly after midnight on Thursday, December 12, 2019. He was surrounded by family and friends. Born to educator parents, Antonio was a general surgeon who served in the US Army Reserves. Raised on the Catholic precept of loving God and helping one’s neighbors, his motto was “Service is my Business.” As a young man, he cleaned the streets of his hometown of Corella, Bohol in the Philippines, and as a surgeon, he brought American surgical specialists to Bohol to provide free surgical services to the poor. During his four decades in the Sacramento area, he helped establish a medical clinic in Galt, worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Mercy General Hospital, and also volunteered free medical services to farm workers in the delta. He traveled to Africa to help dig wells that provide access to fresh clean drinking water and started a mosquito net project to protect babies born in a newly built maternity hospital from the prevalent disease of malaria. Antonio is survived by his wife and partner in service of 50 years, Nenita Cloma Bongoyan, and their three children: daughter Maria, son Mark with wife Sherri Pouyadou and grandchildren Harper and Merrick, and son Anthony with grandson Paolo. His legacy of service is remembered by the many recognition awards: from his alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, his province of Bohol, his Lions Club International involvement, and the Knights of Columbus. He loved music, dancing, adventure movies, traveling the world, and golf. Over the past year, he suffered from leukemia, which he described as “nothing” compared to what Jesus endured on the cross. His service to others touched many lives, and through that service, he will live forever. Antonio will be remembered at a service on Saturday, February 8, at 1pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Las Vegas.