Faustino L. Medina

Faustino L. Medina was born on February 15, 1923 in Malagasang 2nd Imus, Cavite, Philippines. He was the son of Policarpo Medina and Juanita Lacson Medina. Faustino was raised with eight siblings. He had four brothers, Andres, Augusto, Fabian and Erenaio and four sisters, Victoria, Carmen, Mary and Juliana.

A typical teenager, Faustino had a fairly happy high school experience, making the critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Imus Institute.

On January 24, 1945 Faustino exchanged wedding vows with his sweetheart Mercedes Medina Medina in Malagasang 2nd Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Empathic and loyal, Faustino was committed to making his new family happy.

Faustino and Mercedes were blessed with eight children, four sons, Ben, Raul, Ronnie and Noel, and four daughters, Zenaida, Merilinda, Miriam and Evangeline.Faustino worked hard to be a good father to his children and did his best to fulfill their needs.

Faustino was a man who dedicated his life to God and his family. No sacrifice was too big when it came to needs of his children and his ability to provide for those needs. For instance, he left the Philippines for employment in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. There, he worked as a warehouse supervisor and also a telephone lineman. He later garnered employment with the U.S. Aid in Vietnam and with a rank equivalent to that of a U.S. Navy Lieutenant. He risked bodily harm transporting munitions from one military base to another.

In addition to working in Vietnam, Faustino was an owner/operator of a Jeepney business in the Philippines. He once again left the Philippines in search of additional work to support his family, which included working in many different locations such as Hawaii, Alaska, and California.

Faustino successfully brought his family to the United States where they chose San Diego, California to be their home.

Reunited with the family, Faustino spent many years working in San Diego as a maintenance superintendent for hotels such as Marriott where he earned the award of “Employee of the Year”.

Faustino retired in 1990, but didn’t give up on work. He could be found year after year working in his back yard, tending to his garden, and hand pollinating his Cherrymoya trees.

If you would have asked him what his best accomplishments were, he would have answered without hesitation, having raised eight children in a God fearing home with the woman of his dreams, his loving wife Mercedes.

Faustino passed away on October 17, 2010 at U.C. San Diego Hospital in San Diego, California from complications due to cancer. He is survived by his wife Mercedes Medina and his eight children; Ben, Raul, Ronnie, Zenaida, Merilinda, Miriam, Evangeline and Noel.

Services were held at Bible Baptist Church on October 23, 2010. Faustino was laid to rest in Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California.

Simply stated, Faustino was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by his family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Faustino leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life he touched will always remember Faustino L. Medina.