Renato "Rene" Abalahin, 75, of Las Vegas, passed away peacefully on September 26, 2022, surrounded by his family. Rene was born in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan in the Philippines on November 10, 1946, to Teodora and Francisco Abalahin. He was their eldest and only son. He attended Urbiztondo Private High School.
Rene married Helene in May 1967, and together they had three children, Arlene, Cynthia, and Brandon. He joined the US Army in 1966 and served for 20 years as a cook and mess sergeant. He also attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He always had great pride in his culinary skills and received many awards for Best Mess Hall for several consecutive years. After retiring from the Army in 1986, he then worked as an Army civilian for the Department of Logistics for 10 years.
He was an active member and first president of the Filipino-American Society of Fairbanks. He was a pillar of the Filipino community, and a mentor to many. Alaska was his home for 18 years, before he and Helene moved to warmer temperatures and casinos in Las Vegas in 2001.
He lived for his family, and enjoyed family activities including RV road trips, summer vacations, fishing, snow machining, and jet skiing. You could always find him working on his motorhomes, boats, and other recreational vehicles. He loved to cook and entertain, tell stories, and play slots, video poker, and card games with friends and family.
Rene is described as a fun, generous, loving, and kind man to everyone. He loved to make others laugh and was the best prankster. He always had cravings for sweets, and cherished time in the warm sunshine. He regularly opened his home to others, and always ensured that there was enough food to feed a battalion.
Rene is survived by his wife of 55 years, Helene; daughters Arlene (Joshua) and Cynthia; son Brandon; grandchildren Krystal, Ashley, Mia, and Tywinn; niece Brigette (Peerapud); great-grandchild Mila; siblings Gloria (Reynaldo), Tessie, and Ester (Jaime); and many more cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Rene was preceded in death by his parents, Teodora and Francisco; and brother-in-law Clemente Blanco.
You are respectfully invited to attend Rene's memorial services to celebrate and remember his life. Services will be held on Wednesday, October 12th, 2022.
Rene's family would love to know if you plan to attend. Please RSVP to Cindy via email at [email protected].
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