Elpidio "Joe" Raon

When Elpidio Jacildo Raon walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Elpidio was and how he impacted those around him. Elpidio was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Elpidio wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Elpidio was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Elpidio was born on November 16, 1950 at the Manila Health Center in the Philippines. He was the son of Marcelo and Regina Raon. Elpidio was raised in Caloocan City, Phillipines. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Elpidio might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Elpidio was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Elpidio was raised with five siblings. He had two older sisters; Adoracion and Leticia and three younger sisters; Monica, Eleanor and Editha. Elpidio was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Elpidio was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Elpidio well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Elpidio was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Elpidio was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Elpidio took part in basketball. He was a choir member in his church. In his spare time he liked singing, reading and swimming. Elpidio had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Elpidio responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Caloocan High School in 1967. Elpidio was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Elpidio absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Elpidio, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Elpidio a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was History, Political Science.

Elpidio did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Business Administration Degree in Economics at the University of the East. His favorite courses were Political Science, History, Literature. Elpidio was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Elpidio's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Elpidio was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Elpidio was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Elpidio was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Eddie Dee, Danny and Freddie Sanggalang, Jun Cornejo, Boy Pactol, Ricky Cruz, Cesar Buenaventura, The Orbina Brothers, Boy Agustin and Dr. Jaime Mendoza, Frank Aguil, Jun Navarro, Manny Quinanoba, Boy David, Efren Augustin, and Johnny. Later in life, he became friends with Rogerand Benjamin Jacildo.

On July 25, 1980 Elpidio married Milagros Garcia Macasieb at St. Vincent Catholic Church of Vallejo, California. Elpidio's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Milagros's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Elpidio was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Elpidio was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Elpidio, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Raon home. Elpidio's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Elpidio was blessed with three children: Two sons; Christopher and Frederick and one daughter; Jennifer.

Elpidio was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was as a Claims Examiner for the Department of Labor. He was employed for 16 years by the Department of Labor. Elpidio was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Elpidio had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Elpidio's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Elpidio loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were horse racing, mechanics, singing, karaoke, target shooting. Elpidio had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Elpidio's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Elpidio derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Elpidio played basketball, tennis and swimming. Recreational sports included basketball and tennis. Elpidio was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were horse racing and football.

Throughout his life, Elpidio was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Elpidio seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Elpidio usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Elpidio was a member of the Falcons, a music band, and a member of his church, Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Elpidio was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. During that time, he was a choir member and helped build the church. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Elpidio's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Elpidio took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included re-visiting the Philippines.

Elpidio was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Joker, a Labrador, was a best friend for 14 years. His family was rounded out by his Cockatiel and Miniature Pinscher.

When Elpidio's retirement finally came in 2003, Elpidio handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Elpidio to master. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. In retirement, he found new pleasure in target shooting, he was a member of the NRA and singing karaoke at the local bar. Even in retirement, Elpidio continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Elpidio Raon passed away on October 26, 2011 at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pneumonia. He is survived by his wife Milagros; his children: Christopher, Frederick and Jennifer; his sisters: Leticia, Monica, Eleanor, Editha and Adoracion; his daughter-in-Law Glenda (Christopher's wife). Services were held at Palm Mortuary. Elpidio was laid to rest in the City of Lights, Las Vegas, Nevada.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Elpidio. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Elpidio Raon for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Elpidio was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Northwest Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.