Luis San Pascual

Luis A. San Pascual Sr., 92, died on June 14, 2020, at The Pavilion at Queens Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in Flushing, New York. He was born on November 6, 1927, in Manila, Philippines, the son of Arsenio and Roqueza (Alberto) San Pascual. He is preceded in death by siblings Aurora Jose and Arsenio San Pascual Jr. and survived by sibling Romeo San Pascual.

Luis graduated from Mapa High School, in Manila, Philippines, Class of 1947. A gifted student, he completed the Pre-Law program at the prestigious University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines in 1949. In 1952, he passed the bar exam, ranking number 14. He then received a Masters of Management from the prestigious University of the East in Manila, Philippines. On June 6, 1953, he married Amelia Lloret in Malabon, Rizal, Philippines. They celebrated 67 years of marriage and had eight children, one of whom, Rebecca, passed several days after her birth.

In 1965, Luis visited the United States for the first time, when the Filipino Department of Agriculture sent him to study electronic data processing at RCA Institutes in New York, NY. That trip stirred in him a longing to bring his whole family to the States. In 1969, his dream came true, when his wife and children immigrated to New York City. First, they settled in Manhattan, and later lived in Flushing, Queens. For decades, Luis worked for the Metropolitan Transit Authority as a systems analyst.

Luis played a vital role in cultivating a vibrant Filipino-American community in New York City. He was a founding member and Third Overall Chairman of the Philippine Independence Day Committee (PDIC). While on the PDIC, Luis was instrumental in organizing the first annual Philippine Independence Day parade in 1992, as well as the food street fair. He also served as the President of Filipino American City Employees (FACE). He was an effective organizer and a skilled diplomat, building bridges between the Filipino-American community and other sectors of the city. He was also a fixture at Filipino-American social events and could often be seen cutting a rug with his lovely bride.

Luis was a deeply caring and devoted family man who enjoyed, most of all, time spent with his wife, seven children, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. He presided over the dinner table with a warm smile and a hearty laugh. A true jack-of-all-trades,“Lolo,” as he was called by his grandchildren, shared his sense of humor and his love of karaoke, dancing, classic films, war histories, and the New York Yankees. He also relished trips to Home Depot and excelled in gardening and improvement projects to his beloved Flushing home, where his sons spent countless weekends helping with carpentry to renovate their home to accommodate nine people.

He is survived by his wife, Amelia; brother Romeo San Pascual; children Teresa San Pascual, Luis San Pascual Jr. (spouse Yolanda), Merceditas Barragan, Emmanuel San Pascual, Myrna San Pascual, Robert San Pascual, and Bernard San Pascual; grandchildren Lisa Ober (spouse Andrew), Michael San Pascual, Christian San Pascual, Nicolas Barragan (spouse Laura), Jasmine Barragan, Angelica Barragan, Alessandra San Pascual; and great-grandchildren Samuel Ober, Grace Ober, Peter Ober, David Ober, Nicolas David Barragan, and Elliot August Barragan.