Roger Calimlim Quinto

Roger Calimlim Quinto was born in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines on December 17, 1949. He was the first born of Federico and Anita Quinto and the eldest of 10 children. Known as “Pepe” to his siblings, Roger, although shy and quiet, was a role model to his younger brother and sisters, often awarded for his scholarly achievements in school.

After graduating high school and spending a few years in college, Roger enlisted in the United States Navy toward the final years of the Vietnam War in 1970. From there, he would go on to serve 20 years as a Culinary Specialist, rising to the rank of Petty Officer First Class. While in the Navy, he traveled around the globe and was stationed in various places such as Hawaii, China Lake, Australia, and Jordan. Little did he know that his life would change while stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In 1976, Roger met a registered nurse working out of Houston, Texas by the name of Nenita Duran Magday. The two were introduced to each other through mutual friends and they quickly hit it off. As smooth as can be, Roger impressed Nenita and her friends by his culinary works, often preparing and bringing over comfort food, especially fish head soup, at the end of their long shifts. Roger and Nenita dated for 2 years and married in July of 1978, literally the day before he set sail on a deployment. The newlyweded couple eventually moved to San Diego, California in 1980 and made their permanent home here. Throughout their 40 years of marriage, they were blessed by being parents to two children and grandparents to two grandchildren.

Roger was also a distinguished bowler who picked up the sport while serving in the navy. Roger was part of many leagues, but the league he was most proud of was the Fil-Am league at the Admiral Robinson Recreation Center on the 32nd Street Naval Base. In the time he bowled with the Fil-Am league, with the big hook of his ball, he would go on to win the league’s championship a whopping five times. Roger consistently averaged over 200 every season in his leagues and even competed regionally in Las Vegas. Roger was a member of the USBC (United States Bowling Congress).

In his spare time, Roger liked to watch sports on TV such as boxing, bowling (of course), football, baseball, as well the Padres and the Chargers (insufferably) trying to win any of their games. He loved watching war and action movies, as well as the variety shows and soap operas on The Filipino Channel, specifically FPJ’s “Ang Probinsyano.” Roger enjoyed going to the local casinos with his wife and was a “shareholder at Sycuan,” sometimes winning, but mostly having fun losing after stuffing himself at the buffet. Roger loved going on vacations, happily taking the family to endure the 6-hour road trips to visit his brothers' family in Fresno every other Christmas when all the kids were still young. Most notably, whether it would be a typical weekday dinner, the big meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, grilling T-Bone steaks, roasting a humongous prime rib, or broiling the lobsters he caught off the waters of Point Loma, Roger will be most remembered for his love of cooking for his family.

Roger passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 22, 2018 as his family began to eat the Thanksgiving meal he would have loved to have cooked for everyone. Roger is survived by his wife, Nenita, his children, Stephen and Monique, his children-in-law, Annemarie and John (Voltaire), his grandchildren Vincent and Audrey, and his siblings Ricardo, Federico Jr., Romulo, Conrado, Daniel, Dolores, Gilda, Raul, and Eduardo.