Leonardo Robles Bugtong

Leo was the third child born to James Barry Bugtong and Dolores Robles Bugtong who named him after Major General Leonard Wood, a Medal of Honor Recipient, who served as the Governor General of the Philippines from 1921 to 1927.

World War 2 swept through the Islands when he was just eight years old, and Leo experienced the chaos war brought with it. He was held hostage, an assurance for his family’s silence and cooperation, by a Filipino Guerrilla unit. He served as a house boy for their leader and his family. He stayed with the Guerrilla unit following them from camp to camp so his mother and remaining siblings could leave the mountain and find family. The guerrilla leader had originally stipulated that Helen, Leo’s older sister, be the hostage but through shrewd negotiations, his mother convinced them that Leo would be the better choice because he could be trained and one day take up arms with them.

These experiences during his formative years had a profound impact evident in his choice to live a life of service to God and his fellow man.

He attended Lutheran Theological Seminary in Manila (Bachelor’s in Divinity, BD- 1961), University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City (Bachelor of Arts, BA- 1970), and Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN (Masters in Sacred Theology, STM-1980).

He served three churches in the Philippines: Holy Cross, Candon; St. Paul’s, Tamurong, St. Stephen’s, Baguio City. He was also called to be a missionary to the mountain tribes in the Atok-Tublay district. The Bugtong family trace their roots to these same mountain tribes.

God called Reverend Bugtong and his family out of a turbulent political atmosphere in the Philippines to Canada in 1970 through the sponsorship of his sister, Consorcia. He walked by faith trusting that God would provide. He worked in a Ford Plant assembling brakes to provide for his young family until he was called to a double parish: St. Peter’s Lutheran in New Hamburg (where he settled his family) and St. Paul’s Lutheran in Tavistock that was 8 miles away.

Once again, Leo was called by God in 1978 to a different country and he followed. He was called to Hawaii to be a missionary to the Ilocano speaking population. Once again, he uprooted his family and transplanted them but to a decidedly more beautiful place. His mission started as a five-minute radio spot and grew to a home church in Wahiawa (Aloha Lutheran Church of Christ). This congregation was merged with Trinity Lutheran Church in Wahiawa prior to his retirement. He and his wife Estela, partners in service to the Lord since 1961 until her death in 2022, retired to Las Vegas NV to be close to their oldest son, Reuben, his family, and to the rest of the immediate and extended family. They were active in the churches to which they belonged, Mountain View Lutheran and Faith Community Lutheran, enthusiastically supporting mission work.

Leo is now in company with his wife Estela, his siblings Helen, Jose, Vidal, Consorcia, and his half siblings Felicidad, Salvador, Rebecca, Florentina, and Josephina (aka Sipin). He is survived by two of his five siblings and numerous nieces and nephews and their families: James Barry Bugtong, Jr (Adelaida), and Cristeta Araquel (Eduardo).

Continuing Leo’s legacy are his four children, 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren:

Reuben Bugtong (Liz)- Dana, Marshall Ruth Pownall (Bob)- Malia, Katie Lovett (Sean), Zachary Barry Bugtong (Vikki)- Jacob, Casey, Jessi Smith (Grant) and great grandson Beau Rachel Endres (Jeff)- Keone Logan (Satoko), great grandson Kirito Leonardo and great granddaughter Kouno; Arielle Logan.

Funeral services and interment will be held Friday October 4 at Palm Memorial, 6701 N Jones Boulevard, Las Vegas: Viewing 10 am – 12 pm, Service 12 pm - 1 pm, Interment 1 pm.