Ces “Nick” Serrano Nicdao, 74, of Virginia Beach, passed peacefully on March 29, 2019, surrounded by family. He was a native of Cavite City in the Philippines, and the fourth child of Andres and Eugenia Nicdao’s nine children. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister, Gloria (Nicdao) Digma, his brothers, Danny Nicdao, Rody Nicdao, and nephews Arthur and Ariel Digma. He is survived by his wife, Norma, of 51 years and his daughters, Kimberly Villareal (Christopher) of Yorktown and Abigail Causey (Lewis) of Virginia Beach and his grandchildren, Gabriella, Simon, Sophie and Lianna as well as brothers Leonardo Nicdao, Juanito Nicdao, Benny Nicdao, Ernesto Nicdao, and sister Choy Nicdao, and numerous nieces and nephews. Nick had a strong work ethic and was determined to succeed in all that he did. He served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years and retired in 1985 as a chief petty officer. He served another 22 years in the civil service and retired as a database administrator in 2007. In that time, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Leo’s College in 1989. Nick was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Virginia Beach and a Eucharistic minister and volunteer for the parish groundskeeping. He was also a member of the Cebuano Speaking Association of Tidewater and a Past Grand of the Knights of Columbus San Lorenzo Council #12378. He was active with the Special Olympics as well as KOVAR. It seemed like there was nothing Nick could not fix or do. From restoring a 1970 Mustang BOS 302 Fastback to fixing an unknown leak in the bathroom, he loved his tools and enjoyed putting them to work. He taught himself how to play tennis and was known for a hard, flat serve and one-handed backhand with a nasty slice. You could always find him at Little Creek or Cinclant playing tennis with friends or with his daughter at Mt. Trashmore. Nick was an excellent cook, and his pancit palabok was his specialty. Gardening was one of his many talents, and every year, he would plant a vast garden of vegetables. Family pets shared a special bond with Nick, and they would keep him company as he would garden. He loved to fish from a very young age out on the open sea in the Philippines and enjoyed taking his friends and son-in-law on his boat when weather permitted. Ironically enough, in his 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Nick was never deployed out to sea and nicknamed his boat “My Sea Duty.” A special thanks to the staff at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Virginia Beach who cared for Nick for almost two years and especially in his last days. Nick’s viewing and wake service will be held at Woodlawn Funeral Home on Thursday, April 4, 2019 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (1396 Lynnhaven Pkwy in Virginia Beach) with an hour of visitation prior to the Mass. Inurnment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Holy Spirit Catholic Church to benefit the teachers’ salaries of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Saut d’Eau, Haiti or to the Alzheimers Association to help find a cure.
