Rogelio Roger Perea Sr.

Many things can be said about Rogelio Perea Sr. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, welcoming, empathic and humorous man, his compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing his charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. He was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things he sought to accomplish. Roger was capable of bringing out the best in all of those around him.

His parents were Apolonio Perea Sr. and Candelaria Trias. Roger was born and raised in Naic, Cavite, Philippines. His mom passed away when he was only 9 years old. He grew up with his grandmother whom he had a very close relationship with. When he was young, Roger's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe him. Even as a child, Roger demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around him.

Roger grew up with seven siblings. He had two older brothers, Pedring and Conrado, three younger sisters, Myrna, Sonia, and Connie, and two younger brothers, Apolonio Jr. and Romeo. Roger was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with his family. He was even-tempered; this quality served him well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Roger carried these traits into his adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found him pleasurable and delightful to be around. Roger was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those he knew.

During his high school years, Roger had a natural flair for cheering on and applauding just about everyone. He was constantly offering his support and encouragement to fellow members of the groups and activities in which he participated. He graduated from Cavite Community Academy in 1956. He did well in school and genuinely enjoyed telling stories in a way that drew people to him. In this way, Roger had a talent for becoming the center of attention, a kind of social catalyst. Roger was often found to be the lead person facilitating a group activity, frequently filling the role of being “the life of the party.” After graduating, Roger worked with his father at a construction company that built churches and other buildings throughout Cavite. That is where he was found and offered acting jobs. He was so good-looking, that he was offered to play short rolls in multiple Filipino movies.

In 1962, Roger applied to be in inspector for a bus company. This is how he met his future wife, Myrna. Myrna’s mother had a grocery store in Tanza, Cavite, Philippines. Myrna and her cousin saw Rogelio across the street at a shop sitting down, while was waiting for the next bus to inspect. Myrna’s cousin said he was handsome, and she agreed. They saw him there every day. A male friend who knew him, introduced them to each other when he had Rogelio visit the grocery store. Rogelio tried so many ways to win Myrna’s heart including giving her flowers and food. After months of persistent effort, Myrna finally accepted. Rogelio not only courted Myrna, but her family as well because it is the Filipino way of winning a girl’s heart.

On September 16, 1964 Roger married Myrna Tahimic at the Santa Cruz Parochial Church of Tanza, Cavite, Philippines. Compassionate and devoted, Roger worked hard to make his new family happy. He was always generous with his time and this meant that Myrna came first in Roger’s book. He was always caring and made certain that he considered Myrna’s feelings. By trusting his emotions, Roger did his best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Roger was truly a person of empathy.

Roger’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good father to his children. Roger shared these values with his three children, two sons, Rogelio Jr. and Romyr, and one daughter, Nikki. Roger was also blessed with eight grandchildren, Mia, Alyssa, Camille, Chellyn, Audrey, Nicole, Chantell, and Kian. Roger related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved him and he was completely and totally devoted to them.

Roger experienced success in his work life over and over again. He had numerous occupations, and sacrificed himself to create a better life for his family. After being an inspector for a bus company in the Philippines, he was employed as a messenger at SGV Accounting Firm in the Philippines. When his first child, Rogelio Jr., was 18 months old, Roger worked abroad for three years in Vietnam for an American company. In 1967, Roger went to work in Saudi Arabia for three years, making sure to visit his family once a year, especially in 1968 when his second child, Nikki, was born. In 1970, Roger decided to go back to the Philippines for good. After a year, his third child, Romyr, was born. During this time, Roger helped his in-laws maintain their grocery store in the Philippines until 1975 where he and Myrna opened their own restaurant. This restaurant allowed the couple to provide tuition for all three children. They fully enjoyed their lives because the family was together and the restaurant helped them to live comfortably. They both worked for their restaurant until they got petitioned to America by Myrna’s eldest brother who was a US navy in 1989. They waited 20 years for this petition.

In 1990, Rogelio Sr., Myrna and Romyr went to the United States of America. Rogelio Jr. and Nikki were unable to go with them because they were above the age limit to be petitioned with the family. During the first three months in the U.S., Roger and his family stayed with Myrna's sister's family, Ederlinda and Augusto Trias, until they got their own apartment in Lynnwood, Washington. After three years, they bought their house in Mountlake Terrace.

In the U.S., Roger was initially a janitor at Goodwill, and worked alongside his wife, who was a cashier. Six months later, he was hired at a production plating company in Mukilteo, Washington in which he worked at for 9 years. After this occupation, he was employed for 11 years by The Seattle Times. Roger always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by his colleagues as a team player. Roger took pride in managing his professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Roger was one to take the initiative and his skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Roger continually sought to learn what his co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled him to help them develop their own potential. Roger never missed a day of work, and was never late. He never called in sick because he was always healthy even when those around him caught the flu. His son-in-law, Allan, called him "Iron Man" because of this.

Roger took great pleasure in his various hobbies. His favorite pursuits were cooking, singing, and dancing. No one would ever leave his house with an empty stomach.

Roger enjoyed sharing his passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

Roger derived much satisfaction from sports. Because he was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Roger delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. Roger was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams' events whenever he got the opportunity. Top on his list was watching the Seattle Mariners.

Roger’s faith was important to him. He was a member of the Catholic Church throughout his life, no matter where he was located. He was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in his work with the congregation.

Roger enjoyed traveling. His gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Roger were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included going to the Philippines once every two years, visiting Europe, North and South Dakota, Las Vegas, California, and Hawaii.

When Roger’s retirement finally came in 2006, he was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that he was, Roger had taken care to plan for this part of his life. When that time eventually arrived, Roger knew exactly what he wanted to do. His new life involved relocating to Everett, Washington to spend time with his family and take care of his grandchildren. In retirement, he continued to find pleasure in having friends and family visit so he could cook for them. Roger was very disciplined when it came to health; he exercised every day and ate nutritious food. Often he would drive to the grocery store with his wife to shop for ingredients to cook. He took pride in taking care of his family. Even in retirement, Roger continued to stay in touch with his old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances.

In September 2014,

Roger passed away on August 17, 2015 at Evergreen Hospice Center in Kirkland, WA. Roger fought a brave battle against ALS. He is survived by his wife Myrna; his children Rogelio Jr., Nikki and Romyr; his grandchildren Mia, Alyssa, Camille, Chellyn, Audrey, Nicole, Chantell, and Kian; his siblings Pedring, Conrado, Myrna, Apolonio Jr., Romeo, and Connie. Services were held at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Everett, Washington.

Throughout his life, Roger was a gregarious and enthusiastic man. He was generous in sharing his personal attributes, giving and helping those he knew and loved. He would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. He was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Roger leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives he touched will dearly remember Rogelio Perea Sr.