Tomas Solatorio Malunes

September 18, 1928 – June 18, 2015

Tomas Solatorio Malunes (Malonis) was born in a nipa hut along the beach in Manapla, Negros Occidental, Philippines to Pablo & Catalina Malunes. His father Pablo (Amboy) was a traveling salesman from Ajury, Panay. On one of Amboy’s trips to the neighboring island of Negros on his sailboat, he met his future wife Catalina (Ninay). Ninay came from a family of sugar cane plantation owners. The Malunes family lived in the nipa hut on the beach until 1930, when they moved into the hacienda that Ninay inherited, named Pinanama-an II. Tomas spent his pre-school years on the sugar plantation with his parents, and siblings. As they became of school age, they were sent to live in the town, and were raised by the nannies, while their parents stayed behind to run the hacienda.

Tomas was number three of six children. He had two older brothers; Hermano, the eldest, was a chief radio operator of the island’s governor’s private army. He died in his sleep at age 25, unmarried. Simeon, the “black sheep” of the family, ran away from home after being expelled from high school for pulling a prank on the school principal and his girlfriend. He went on to enlist in the Philippines Army, was married, and had several children. Tomas had three younger siblings; his brother and best friend, Jovito. Jovito was trained as a Police Officer, but became the town’s Fire Department Chief. He married and had one daughter. His sister Adelaida, the only girl, was a midwife. She married and had three children. The baby of the family was his brother Elias. Elias became a Tax Assessor in their hometown. Elias married and had three sons, and an adopted daughter.

Tomas was in the sixth grade in Manapla Elementary School when World War II broke out in the Philippines in 1941. With the Japanese occupation of their small town, the Malunes family along with several of the town’s school teachers, evacuated back to their family hacienda. During the war Tomas and his elder brothers did not go to school; they just helped their father work the sugar plantation. It wasn’t until 1945 when the U.S. Armed Forces liberated the Philippines from the Japanese occupation, did Tomas and his elder brothers go back to school. He continued with reduced years in grade school, and then went on to graduate from Negros Occidental Provincial High School in 1949.

After high school, Tomas was drafted for military training for one year. After the training, he went to Ilolilo City College in Iloilo City, Philippines, to pursue a degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering. Unfortunately due to the death of his eldest brother Hermano, and the family’s pecuniary problems, Tomas had to quit his college studies after two years. Fortunately though, his previous draftee training was considered as two years basic training in the Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC). He was commissioned a Reserve Officer in the Philippines Army. Tomas grew weary of waiting for a favorable assignment in the Philippines Army, so he resigned his Commission, and enlisted in the United States Navy in January 1954… thus begins the life of the Tomas Malunes that most of have come to know and love.

Tomas had his share of enjoyments, and disappointments when it came to his relationships with girls/women. His mother had even betrothed him to the daughter of her best friend. Sometime around 1958, Tomas took is annual leave from the Navy. He went back to his hometown of Manapla. While there, the mother of his intended asked Tomas to take the daughter out. They went to Bacolod City to see a movie. After the movie his “intended” went back to Manapla with her cousin. Tomas decided to stay overnight in Bacolod with his uncle. While waiting for a taxi to his uncle’s house, he ran into a friend from his hometown. The friend along with his four other friends had invited Tomas to a new rendezvous place. It was a restaurant under a residential home. Tomas’ hometown friend was trying to court one of the daughters of the owner of the restaurant, while Tomas was busy flirting with the pretty waitresses.

A day before the end of Tomas’s leave, his friends decided to throw him a farewell party at their new rendezvous place. While Tomas was “dreamingly” smoking his pipe in a corner, hardly listening to what his drinking buddies were talking about, the “most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life” walked by him, towards one of the sisters who was working the cash register. By the time Tomas came out of his mesmerized stare, and summoned his courage to approach her, she was gone. Tomas asked the sister who was working the register who the girl was, she angrily replied, “We sell food in our restaurant, not any one of our family!” Fortunately for Tomas he had befriended one of their helpers who did the laundry. They told Tomas that the girl’s name was Mercedes. As soon as Tomas got back on his ship, he started to write to Mercedes. He wrote to her often, and even proposed to her. Although her responses were ambiguous; come to find out later, that it was one of Mercedes’ sisters responding to the letters; Tomas kept writing to her. Somehow he felt, “in my heart, my search for the woman my heart desired, ended the moment I saw her.”

Tomas was overjoyed when he received his next orders for overseas shore duty in Subic Bay, Philippines. He immediately put in for 30 days of leave before having to report to duty. Tomas had daily visits with Mercedes in Bacolod City. He would take her to the movies, and on picnics. When it was too late to go home, he spent the night in town at one of his aunt’s boarding house; that is until the aunt found out that he was courting someone other than the girl his mother had betrothed him to. After that, he would spend the night in the Bacolod City jailhouse, because his friend was the assistant warden. On one picnic outing in Tomas’ hometown of Manapla, Mercedes’ eldest sister Amelia, and her husband Cirilo, were sent to pick her up and bring her back to Bacolod.

The day before his 30 day leave was to expire, Tomas had asked Mercedes’ father for her hand in marriage. Her father would only agree to the marriage if Tomas left the U.S. Navy. Tomas replied, “If I did, how can I feed, and support your daughter?” Tomas believed that it was his fate to marry Mercedes; he believed that “love conquers all!” Though all the adversities, and the fateful intervention of one of Mercedes’ cousins whom she had never met before, Tomas & Mercedes were married on July 29, 1960 by the authority of the Mayor of Quezon City, Philippines. They later were married in Roman Catholic Church, Manapla, Negros Occidental on August 27, 1960.

Tomas & Mercedes were blessed with three children. The eldest, a son, Josh was born in San Diego, California. Then there was their second son, Thomas, Jr., was born in Oakland, California. Their youngest and only daughter, Rima was born in Olongapo, Philippines. From their eldest, they were blessed with two granddaughters, Allison and Liana. Through the Navy, Tomas & Mercedes moved from the Philippines to San Diego, California; to Oakland, California; back to the Phillipines; and then in 1969 moved back to San Diego where they settled in to raise their family.

Tomas did not become a U.S. Citizen until after he retired from the U.S. Navy, so he was not able to participate in the Officer’s training programs for advancement in the Navy. Tomas retired from the U.S. Navy as an Electrician’s Mate Chief in 1973, and finally became a U.S. Citizen in 1975. After military retirement, Tomas started his second career, working for the Federal Civil Service, as an Equipment Specialist – Ship’s Planned Maintenance Systems. He retired from Federal Civil Service in 1995. While still working for the Federal Civil Service, Tomas took advantage of his G.I. Education Bill, and tried to continue with perusing his degree in engineering. With work and family responsibilities, perusing a four year degree at a university was not to be. Tomas did complete two Associates in Science degrees at Southwestern Community College; in Industrial Engineering and in Construction Inspection.

Tomas’ degrees in Industrial Engineering and Construction Inspection, was put to good use, with respect to his career and many hobbies. Tomas was a constant builder, constructor, and tinkerer. This was reflected in all of the homes that the family ever lived in. They all had room additions built by him, and in one form or another was always undergoing upgrades and remodels throughout the house and surrounding yard and gardens. In his later years, he stuck to constructing models of his passion and desire for boats and houseboats.

In all his life the biggest accomplishment of Tomas was the building of his family; not just his immediate, but also his extended family, and friends; and keeping close to his roots. Though he might not have expressed it vocally, family and friends were dear to his heart. It was shown in his quite support to bring relatives to the U.S., and send others to school. It was shown in his association with his hometown U.S. organizations; Manaplahanon, and Bacolod Association. It was also shown in his regular attendance at the Jack-in-the-Box retiree group, and in the forming of his retiree group at McDonald’s; the McBuddies, which through rain or shine, sickness and health, he rarely missed a day.

Tomas S. Malunes was strict, yet fair and kind; at times stoic, yet jovial; he was resourceful and helpful; quite, yet loving in his actions… he is dearly loved and will be truly missed on this earth… Beloved Husband, Father, Lolo, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle, In-Law, Friend!!!