Manuel Rueda Mercado

Many will remember Manny from his days in the ROTC in college. He was especially proud of rising to the rank of corps commander. Many of his lasting friendships were formed in that time of his life. He recalled his service frequently and with great fondness, from directing traffic to hunting for survivors in the wake of the 1968 earthquake that hit Manila, which resulted in hundreds of fatalities. Buoyed by his experiences as a young man, he was later active for a time in the reserve of the Philippine Constabulary.

Manny was a gifted speaker, excelling at oratory and debate as a student. This and other qualities made him a natural leader. He was skilled at business administration as well, which he enjoyed practicing and studying. He rose up the managerial ranks of several manufacturing companies, reaching Vice President and General Manager. All the while, he taught his three sons how to treat people well and how to be leaders themselves. Manny was also versatile in his trades. In the United States, he changed professions and began working at several financial institutions. He was known as a loan agent, becoming Vice-President of a bank’s loans department. He became expert in residential appraisal, to the extent that he could lead training workshops. Throughout his professional life, he was a natural entrepreneur, undertaking several business ventures and later becoming his own boss.

In the two and a half years Manny lived with cancer, he expressed not an inkling of any fear of death, only pride at his achievements in life. He measured his success by the successes of his family, for all his efforts were directed at providing for his wife Annie and sons Angelo, Marco, and Christian. Others benefited from his generosity and assistance during hard times. Manny is survived by many close relatives who remember him best—and miss him—as the husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather that he was, ever loving, nurturing, encouraging, and wise. He departed on April 2, 2016, in peace and surrounded by the love of his family.