Victor Filomeno Napalan, USN, ret.

Victor Filomeno Napalan was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Salvador and Cleotilde Napalan. Victor was raised in Olongapo City, Philipppines. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Napalan household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Victor was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Victor was raised with eleven siblings. He had Inyong, Minyang, Eddy, Jaime, Pearly, Lulu, Penny, Beto, Ramon, Lita and Rhody. Victor was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Victor and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Victor was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Victor was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Victor developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Victor took part in billiards. He was part of The Original Hanseners. Victor's memorable achievements included working at the age of thirteen doing odd jobs. However, what Victor enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

He managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Math. Victor was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. He was a troublemaker and they all thought he wasn't going to make it. Victor always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Victor was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Victor was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Victor to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Ben, Adore, Domingo, Clody, the Original Hanseners.

On September 9, 1973 Victor exchanged wedding vows with Maria Clara Echon Edrada at the Olongapo City Hall of Olongapo, Philippines. Compassionate and devoted to Maria, Victor held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Maria and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Victor brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Victor was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Victor was blessed with three children, sons Vincent and Marvin and daughter, Mariah. They were also blessed with one grandson, Ace Napalan Hutchinson.

Victor greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Victor enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Victor was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was in the United States Navy. He was employed for 21 years. Victor worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

He saw action during the Vietnam War. Victor saw action for 1969-1990. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of First Class. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Victor seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Victor liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Victor always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were playing billiards and exercising. Victor was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included jogging and working out. He enjoyed billiards, boxing and basketball. He won many trophies playing pool! He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were boxing and basketball.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Victor was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Victor preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Victor was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Victor was a die-hard Republican.

Since he was an early starter in the Navy, he enjoyed traveling and it appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Victor always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Olongapo City, Philippines. Other favorite visits included Japan and Australia

Victor loved his dogs. Victor’s favorites included Eve, a Pitbull mix for 6 years and Commando a Pitbull for 10 years.

When Victor’s retirement finally arrived in 1990, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Long Beach, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in continuing to work as a civilian at John Dear, the Post Office, Naval Shipyard in Long Beach and the VA Hospital. Even in retirement, Victor continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Victor Filomeno Napalan passed away on October 4, 2018 in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. Victor died suddenly in his sleep. He is survived by his wife, Maria, children Vincent, Marvin and Mariah, Antone Hutchinson, grandson Ace, dog Commando, brothers Rhody, Ramon and Jaime and sisters Lulu and Penny. Services were held in Palm Southwest Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV. Victor was laid to rest in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Victor Filomeno Napalan. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.