Fruto Beltran Tigno Jr.

Fruto was a strong family man. He was the eldest son of 10 children. He took on great responsibility after his father passed away while Fruto was in his 30s. When he came to the United States from the Philippines, he sponsored his mom and paved the way for his siblings to immigrate to the States.

He recently celebrated 55 years of marriage with the love of his life, Erlinda, and his daughters Joanne, Jeanne, and Jennifer.

In addition to his family, many other things gave Fruto great happiness. He was proud of his home, the place where he displayed his many talents. He was a handyman, carpenter, gardener, and mechanic. He built a comfortable, beautiful haven for his family to enjoy and flourish in. His many home projects included a pigeon coop, yard sheds, garage cabinets, toy chest, bunk bed, and the list goes on and on. His hands were those of a laborer, calloused and rough. He was always busy doing things out of love for others.

Fruto enjoyed traveling. He took many sightseeing tours abroad, including a cruise in Asia and two cruises in Europe. He collected hats from his many travels and wore them often.

Fruto was a proud American. He enlisted and served in the United States Navy for 22 years. He left on numerous 6-month deployments overseas. Through the years, he was stationed in South Carolina, the Philippines, Vietnam, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, and finally settled in California. He was a Vietnam Veteran. He felt a strong camaraderie with his fellow shipmates and other friends in the Navy. After he retired, he would still meet with a group of them in the mornings at the local McDonalds. They were his “McBuddies.”

He LOVED to eat. Cruising was great because of the all-you-can-eat buffets on the ship and the numerous local food establishments available when he was on land. Fruto not only loved to eat, he was also an amazing cook. His many specialties included steamboat prime rib and grilled steak. After retiring from the Navy, he was a butcher in the Naval Commissary for 21 years. If it was meat, he could cook it! He was a man of few words, so his cooking was a demonstration of his love. If he called you to eat, or brought food to you, he was implicitly saying, “I Love You.” Fruto carried “pocket candy,” a constant supply of little Brach’s treats in his pants pocket, that he would offer to anyone who was around him.

Shopping was another activity Fruto found pleasing. He bought countless watches, hats, shirts, jeans, jackets, and shoes. He would offer clothes and shoes to his nephews and grandchildren when they visited. He hemmed his own pants and could be found often hunched over a sewing machine. When he went outside the home, he was well dressed and clean cut, always portraying the best side of himself.

Fruto was sharp and had a good memory. He could tell you exactly where something small was stored in the garage amongst his vast collection of tools and equipment. He relished winning a game of dominos or loteria (bingo) and he took delight in going to Barona with the family. He kept a tab on his winnings and often asked his wife for the current total.

Toward the end of his life, Fruto was visited and surrounded by countless family and friends. On August 19, 2026, he drew his last breath with his wife and daughters present.