Arturo Alcopra Tejero

When Arturo Alcopra Tejero walked into the room, those in his company felt his warmth, generosity and a true energy. This was just one example of who Arturo was and how he impacted those around him. Arturo was a clever and gracious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Arturo wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Arturo was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Arturo was born on November 30, 1938 at Army Hospital, in Leyte, Takloban City, Philippines. He was the son of Ariston and Felisa Tejero. Arturo was raised in the Philippines. Arturo was raised with 14 siblings. Brothers: Alfredo, Ariston Jr., Artemio, Alberto, Abraham, Adriano, Achilles and Amerigo. and sisters: Minda, Serena, Fe, Norma, Inkapotansak & Lena. Arturo was very accepting and supportive of his family and was often perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Arturo was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Arturo well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Arturo was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Arturo was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in sports; Arturo took part in basketball, boxing and Aikido. In his spare time he liked playing chess and reading books. With his ability to find amusement (or bring amusement) to almost any activity he and his friends were never bored.

During his high school years, Arturo responded enthusiastically to any new project; and was a very good student. Arturo absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and used his imagination to master his assignments. His favorite class in high school was English.

Arturo did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He attended t San Jose Recoletos; and his great love of reading and thirst for knowledge enabled him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty.

His generous nature, sense of humor and warm heart endeared him to people, and he had a talent for making acquaintances easily. Arturo was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Boy Ladia, Pastor Tua and the Gamboa Brothers.

On November 30, 1966 Arturo married the love of his life; Fely Rano Vergara at Naga Parish Church in Cebu City, Philippines. Arturo's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new bride happy. He was quite sensitive towards Fely's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness, working hard throughout his life to give her all the things she wished for; in addition he was very tenderhearted and sensitive when it came to Fely, qualities that helped to make their married life a very long and happy one. After a time, it was no longer Arturo and Fely, but, the endearing Pa Lang Ga or “Ga” when the two referred to one the other.

Arturo was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Arturo, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Tejero home. Arturo's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Arturo and Fely were blessed with six children: Lynna, Arthur Jr., Christopher, Princess, Moonyean and Honey. They were also blessed with 19 grandchildren, Marcus, Felisia, Chelsea, Arturo, Zach, Destiny, TJ, CJ, Danielle, Crystal, Jessie, Natalie, Andrew, Michael, Thalia, Christina, Jovonie, Bobby and Kayla.

Arturo was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was that of security guard and slot floor attendant. Arturo was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Arturo had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Arturo's fellow workers saw him as a dedicated and hard worker, as well as a friend.

In addition to his favorite hobbies of playing chess and reading, Arturo also derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Arturo played basketball. Arturo was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were boxing, football and basketball.

Arturo's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. Though he enjoyed many different trips and places; his favorite destination would always be returning home to the Philippines, every chance he had, to visit with those dear friends and family he had left behind.

When Arturo's retirement finally came in 1986, Arturo handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. His new life involved relocating to Reno, Nevada. In retirement, he found new pleasure in reading, his family and being "Most Favorite Uncle". Though retired, he never stopped working; in fact he found a new passion, that of “house husband”, doing things about the house and preparing wonderful meals, finally having the time to indulge in his love of cooking. He also continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Arturo fought a very long and brave battle with diabetes, heart and kidney disease; with Fily (fighting her own battle with breast cancer) by his side; taking him to dialysis 4 days on and and 1 day off for six years. It was Fily's great, great love, and Arturo's strength and determination that allowed him to to fight the good fight for so long. On September 5, 2011, Arturo found his peace and passed away at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, NV. He is survived by his loving wife, daughters, sons and grandchildren. Services were held at Palm Mortuary and Arturo was laid to rest in Las Vegas and the Philippines.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Arturo. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and truly had a heart of gold. While he was often fiercely independent, and could be stubborn as an ox; many looked to Arturo Tejero for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Arturo’s generous spirit, loyalty, good nature and humor will be missed by all those who knew and loved him.

The family has set up the following donation accounts to assist Fely with the many medical expenses which have amassed over the years. If you are able to help in any way, the family will be most grateful and thanks you for your kindness and generosity.

Donations may be made though PayPal at: arturotejero.donation@gmail OR directly to Bank of America, account # 5010 0855 9638 Account Title: Tejero Donation Account. All checks MUST be made payable to: Fely Tejero

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Eastern Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.