Manuel Tomaneng

On November 13, 2011 Manuel S. Tomaneng , 71, passed into the hands of the Lord at San Francisco General Hospital after a tragic accident on Mission Street, San Francisco, California as he was on his way to work. He is survived by his three siblings, his sister, Zen Mendoza of San Jose, California, and his two brothers, Arturo Tomaneng and Oscar Tomaneng, both residing in Manila, Philippines.

Manuel was born on March 12, 1940 to Luzmeden Segui and Jesus Tomaneng in Manila, Philippines. He was the oldest of four children. In his youth, the family lived in Quezon City, where he attended his early school years. In the mid 50’s, the family moved to the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines, in Del Monte, Bukidnon, where he finished High School. His parents decided to move back to Quezon City so he and his other brothers could continue their college studies in Manila. He started out as a freshman at the University of the Philippines, and continued on to finish college at Mapua Institute where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.

In 1967, he emigrated to the US, and worked as a chemist at UCSF in San Francisco, CA. He would send his mother a portion of his earnings every month which he promised to do when he left Manila. He was the only one in his immediate family at that time as he started a new life in the San Francisco Bay Area. But he was surrounded by company of his cousins, the siblings of his father, his Aunts and Uncles. His only sister, Zen Mendoza came to the States in September 1969 as an immigrant to join her husband, Ramon, in San Diego, CA. Manuel ‘s parents eventually joined him in the Bay Area and they lived in the same household for some time in the 70’s. He was always wanting to be self employed, so he left his job as a chemist in UCSF and tried his hand in sales on and off in the 80’s and became an insurance agent at some point in his life in the 90’s Although he lived alone, he would always make it a point to call his sister and her family when any one of them had a birthday, on feast days and holidays.

In his later years, he decided to go back to the business world as an employee, he found a job as a security guard in the San Francisco Airport where he met new friends who cared about him and for him. He found solace in his bible studies and circle of friends. In his final moments under the Muni bus, the news report said he was comforted by a bystander (a woman) who held his hand .When we reached out to her to thank her, she said she talked to him as he was obviously uncomfortable but did not seem to be in agony, he was peaceful and quiet. She said “he had the kindest face.”