Benigno Andres Baguio Jr.

14, 2019, at home, surrounded by loved ones.

He was born March 4, 1932, in Iligan City, Philippines, to Benigno and Maria Baguio. The

eldest of five children, followed by Manuel, Inday, Violet, and Letty.

In his twenties, Ben moved to the United States and joined the Coast Guard. Later in Jersey

City, New Jersey he was introduced to Adoracion Alviar, by his sister Violet. On April 23, 1960,

in Wilmington, Delaware, they were married and went on to raise their four children; Maria,

Benigno III, Christine, and Thomas.

After retiring from the Coast Guard, he found a second career within the Federal Government

working for the National Archives. After the second retirement, he moved to Henderson,

Nevada.

He was a sports fan who enjoyed traveling and was a great dancer. He loved fishing and

bowling and was always happy to teach these things to anyone interested.

He is survived by his devoted wife and children, their daughter in law Lynne, and their three

grandchildren; T.J., Nino, and Misha.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to either St. Francis of Assisi

Catholic Church or the Nevada Veterans Foundation (nevadavets.org).

A viewing will be held on Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 at Palm Eastern, from 3pm to 7pm,

with prayers starting at 6pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2300 Sunridge Heights Pkwy, Henderson, NV 89052 on Thursday, December 19th, 2019 at 10am.

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The Eulogy given by Ben Baguio III

On behalf of my mom, Dorie, and my sisters, Maria and Christine and my brother Tom, I’d like to thank all of the families and friends who have come here today to honor and say goodbye to Ben Baguio Jr.

For those of you I don’t know me, I am Ben Baguio III, his eldest son, and only child that’s not adopted. Just joking. He raised 4 wonderful kids. And what I mean is that we are all disciplined and respectful of our elders. But a lot of that was my mom cracking the whip. Dad was the jokester and but he also was the one who doled out the punishment.

I just want to say a few words about my Dad who worked tirelessly for his family. He honorably served 20 years in the Coast Guard. Then he worked for the government at the National Archives for another 20 years. And I know he did all this so that his family had the best life that he could provide. When he wasn’t working, you could find him in his garden or at the bowling alley or fishing at some hot spot that he found. He loved his fish, he loved his veggies, and he loved bowling. I still remember him calling me when he rolled his second 300 game. We were all proud of him.

All of us know my dad in different capacities, as a husband, as a father, father-in-law, as a brother, as a brother-in-law, as an uncle, as a grandfather, as a partner in crime or as a friend. But we all share something in common. I can bet, because that’s what you do in Vegas, that my dad has extended everyone a handshake or a hug, a warm greeting, a big smile, and an offer to help in any way he could. I know this because that’s what he did and that’s just the kind of guy he was.

I know he was a great husband. I’m sure my mom agrees with me. He and my mom were married for 59 years. Us kids saw the wonderful way he always treated my mom and how much he loved and respected and cared for her. You could see the love on his face when he looked at my mom and joked with her. You just don’t go 60 years without that magic and a deep love. I like to think that I’m the husband I am from watching my Dad.

And as far as being a Dad, I think he was a great Dad! He loved all four of us with all his heart, but we all know who his favorite was…...Tommy. He was the cool dad that my friends would envy. Of course they never saw the end of his belt. But he was the guy who taught all of us to bowl, to fish and crab, to gamble, and to have a good time. I’m pretty sure we all got our sense of humor from him. In our household we refer to that as the Baguio humor, not everyone gets it and not everyone can handle it. He allowed us to be our own individual. We all loved him for that. As different as the four of us were, he loved each of us, despite our faults. And as proud as he was of us, we were just as proud of him. We lucked out when God was handing out Dads.

He loved his grand kids. He was always so proud of TJ, Nino, and Misha. As babies, He would spend hours trying to make them laugh. As toddlers he always had a pocket of candy. I watched him try to teach them the same stuff he taught me and my sisters and brother. He got a lot of joy out of having his family enjoying the same stuff he loved.

I invite you all to think of a word or two that you think of when you hear Ben Baguio...my father, not me. And I’m sure many of you think of the same words. For me, I think of Strong because there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his family. Caring because he worried about anyone who was in the same room, even strangers. Funny, because he would make jokes about anything that's happening. Friendly, because he greeted everyone as if you were already his friend. Helpful, because he would go out of his way to offer a helping hand or just a smile. But mostly, Genuine, because when he smiled at you or extended his hand, there were never any ulterior motive. He was just a good guy.

Over the past few days, seeing all the people who have attended the prayer sessions, attended his viewing, and have come here today, I realize how many lives he has touched. And I’m sure this is only a small percentage of people. Because anyone who met my dad, whether you were family, friend, or stranger, was greeted with a smile and a kind word. Guaranteed!

Now, all of us have our memories with my dad, but I’d like to share a few of my moments with my Dad that had some impact on me.

1. I remember getting up at 0400 to go fishing with him. I remember being so tired and being bribed with Dunkin Donuts. That was a fair trade. I was the one carrying all the gear onto the pier, going back to the car for whatever he needed. I didn’t fish, that was all Dad, but he taught me about everything he was doing to fish. But it didn’t really matter, because I was with Dad.

2. I remember when I was 6 or 7, staying up way past my bedtime watching the Mets or Knicks until Dad came home. I got to see my dad and I think that’s why I’m so into watching sports. The betting came much later.

3. And I learned to try to fix anything around the house because he would always show me what he was doing. Mind you, I carried the tools and held the flashlight. But I learned.

4. I remember him teaching me how to bowl. Going to the 10:45 mass so that we’d be at the WRAMC bowling alley by 1:00 when they opened. And from what I hear, he taught a few of you how to bowl. So out of curiosity, show of hands, how many people here did my dad teach bowling or gave advise to adjust your game?

5. But the one thing that really sticks out and showed me what a good guy he was…I once saw him helping this older lady put bags in her car. I asked him who she was and he didn’t know. It was just someone he could help. And that’s my Dad helping anyone. And that where I learn how you’re supposed to treat people. I’m not as good as my Dad, but I like to strive in his direction. Like Christine says, “Gotta have goals".

My dad was always a source of strength and comic relief. He was strong and beloved right to the end. I hope that one day, when it’s my time, my kids can look back and tell funny stories about me and talk about how I loved them and their mom. Then I would be just like my dad.