Napoleon Butch Virata Dela Cruz

Napoleon Virata Dela Cruz was a man for whom actions would speak louder than words. His life motto might well have been “if it isn’t logical, it’s not important.” The qualities of being fair, just and the ability to recognize what was right were clearly driving forces in Butch’s life. He was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied. He was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Butch was modest in his actions and extremely literal in his thoughts and in the manner in which he communicated with others. When Butch said something, he meant it. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.

Butch was born on October 21, 1935 at Home in Medicion, Imus, Cavite. His parents were Eugenio and Juliana Dela Cruz. Butch was raised in Imus, Cavite. Even as a small child, Butch wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As Butch grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, he treated everyone around him the same way. This belief in fair play served Butch well throughout his life and despite his natural shyness; he enjoyed a solid group of friends.

Since Butch sought to treat those around him with respect, he often found himself in the role of playing peacemaker within his family. He was comfortable in working through the types of sibling rivalry situations that quite often occur, because he loved the challenge of conflict resolution. He would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Butch was raised with three siblings. He had two older brothers, Salvador and Rodolfo, and an older sister, Petronila. Butch was constantly involved in activities with his siblings. Butch and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they shared many life experiences.

During his childhood, family and friends viewed Butch as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. In fact, he was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Butch’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide. He Took part in tennis and basketball. In his spare time he liked reading.

The fact that he was curious was an asset to Butch while he was in school. He possessed strong study skills and good concentration. He relished the task of scrutinizing problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them. Butch enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of problem solving that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. Experience was Butch’s best teacher. He graduated from Arellano University in 1954. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was history.

The same qualities that served as assets for Butch while he was in high school were tools that built success in his college years. His ability to work through problems and assignments without wasting time and energy demonstrated to his instructors that he possessed a real “stick to it” attitude that allowed him to succeed despite an underlying desire to defer making difficult decisions. Butch was an analytical and an independent thinker, qualities that allowed him to develop and implement effective strategies and techniques to meet his college workload. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Banking and Finance from Far Eastern University in 1961. His favorite courses were Law and Accounting.

Those who didn’t know Butch well might have thought him to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to him knew that he was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Butch’s good friends tended to be “thinkers” like himself. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Butch liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. Butch was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding his true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. Another quality that people admired in Butch was his ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in his assessment of any new situation. While growing up, some of his best friends were the "Salot Gang" named Bert Virata, Eddie Sarao, and Eddie Remulla to name a few. Later in life, he became friends with Rogelio Vestal, Boy Gines, Rick Cosme, and Pablo Huertas.

This same loyalty and up front honesty Butch shared with his friends carried over to other aspects of his life, including his relationships with his family. On May 31, 1969, Butch exchanged wedding vows with Virginia De Castro Bartolome at the St. Michael Catholic Church of Bacoor, Cavite. The marriage became a solid relationship, due in part to Butch’s skill at bringing fresh energy and clarity to meeting Virginia's needs. He was a great listener who enjoyed the couple’s “together” time, especially when it came to celebrating special occasions.

As the family grew, Butch was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Butch was blessed with three children, two daughters, Maria Nally and Julie Armi, and one son, Aldous Kim. They were also blessed with one grandson, Paul Austin. Butch was never impulsive in dealing with family problems. Instead, he would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner. Butch was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved. At the same time, Butch’s inventive nature could turn some of the boring old household chores into a fun activity for the family.

In his work life, Butch was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. He excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, and once he understood exactly why he was working on a project, he could plow full steam ahead. For Butch, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant to him in appreciating its importance. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, Butch was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and he would readily use them if they improved the process. His primary occupation was a Bank Vault Manager. He was employed for 35 years by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Butch always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Butch’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced his choice of leisure pursuits as well. He applied his strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to his choice of activities. He particularly enjoyed the “alone” time his hobbies provided. His favorite pursuits were playing tennis, basketball, watching western films, reading historical books and watching game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Butch was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Butch had the ability to stay calm and the determination to do what was necessary to get the job finished, traits that helped him enjoy sports. In high school, Butch played basketball. In his college years, Butch continued to stay active by playing basketball and tennis. Recreational sports included tennis. Butch was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were tennis, baseball, and basketball.

Butch was an asset to any organization he joined. In many ways, he was a man of action who would rather tackle a job than spend time chatting about irrelevant things. He worked well on small committees and excelled at focusing on the important details without getting bogged down by the unnecessary parts of an assignment. Throughout his later years, Butch was an active member of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines.

Religion and faith were important to Butch. He held dear the faith and values he derived from his beliefs. He was a member Filipina Independiente.

Butch was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Butch’s favorites was Durango, a mixed Labrador.

As his retirement approached, Butch viewed the event as just one more project to research and solve. So, when the day finally arrived in 2000, he was well prepared. His new life involved going back and forth from Milpitas, California and Cavite, Philippines. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing mahjong, gardening, reading all sorts of material, and watching his favorite game shows.

Butch passed away on March 1, 2012 at Home in Milpitas, California. Butch died peacefully in his sleep. He is survived by his spouse Virginia; his children Nally, Julie, and Kim; and his grandson Austin. Services were held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish. Butch was laid to rest in a Aglipay Church Cemetery in Cavite, Philippines.

Butch strongly believed that talk is cheap. He was the type of person who would show others his feelings through his actions. He was practical and realistic but was able to be flexible when the need arose. He had a curiosity about the things around him and tried to experience life directly rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences he treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. Napoleon Virata Dela Cruz will be greatly missed.