Porferio Fernandez Paulo

Porferio F. Paulo was born in Camiling, Tarlac Philippines on September 1946. The youngest son of Constancio and Librada Paulo, he grew up with 2 brothers and 4 sisters in Barangay (neighborhood) Matubog. After graduating from the Camiling Secondary Institute and working briefly in Manila, he returned to Camiling, where he would marry Anacleta. They raised their 3 children, Rick, Aileen and Jerry. He was always ready to work to provide for his family. Besides farming in the rice fields and raising animals (goats, pigs, chicken and water buffalo) he would help his wife harvest palm leaves for them to make hand-made hats to sell. Anyone who knew Porferio knew that he LOVED to garden and had a green thumb. He planted many vegetables that fed not only his family, but also his extended family and neighbors. He was always happy to share. When it came time for his children to go to college, he and his wife decided to have a small piggery to have enough money to send them to college. Porferio migrated to the United States in June 2000 and helped raise his grandsons Mark and Joshua, while living with his son Rick and daughter-in-law Cynthia. He started working at the Grand Manchester Hyatt that same year. In his almost 20 years there, he was selected as Employee of the Year 3 times. By working at the Hyatt he was able to help his children Aileen and Jerry and grandchildren AJ, Raymond, Abbie, Aimee and Joseph migrate to the US in 2010. He said numerous times that he didn’t want to retire, even though he was able to, because he enjoyed working and socializing with his colleagues, who had become his friends. His love for gardening continued here in the US, first growing plants anywhere and everywhere in his son’s back yard. He was so happy to eventually lease a 20x40 community garden plot. He had all the patience to grow plants from seed and transplant them into pots until they were ready to go into the ground. His garden was productive year around and like in the Philippines, he shared his harvest with everyone. He only stopped working and gardening when he was diagnosed with the Big C. He fought bravely and had the willpower to overcome it, but it metastasized and due to his compromised immune system, Porferio passed on July 16, 2020. Porferio will be remembered dearly as a hard working, generous, happy, patient, kind, cool headed husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend. He is survived by his wife Anacleta, his children Rick & Cynthia, Aileen and Jojit, Jerry & Edna, grandchildren Mark, AJ, Joshua, Raymond, Abbie, Aimee and Joseph, and his last surviving sister Felisa.