Rodolfo (Rudy) Escobar

Rudy was born on April 16, 1934 in lnfanta, Pangasinan, Philippines, the son of Amado (Adong) Diaz Escobar and Susana (Sanang) Maniago Escobar.

He went to school at lnfanta Elementary School, then attended high school at both lnfanta Cosmopolitan Academy and Saint John's Institute.

Rudy is loved and cherished by his family. He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 49 years, Lydia; his children: Rodolfo (Rudy), Jr.; Lerma and Leonard Remias; Lyn and Joe Kopal; Jane Escobar and Shawn Forbes; Lisa Escobar; and Lauryn Escobar and her fiancé, John Beales, Jr.; his 5 grandchildren: Leland, Leighton, and Ally Kopal, and Hayden Sizemore; and a host of family and friends, including Mark Burnett, Jennifer Mauro, and Megan Ward.

Rudy is also survived by his sister, Socorro (Coring) Escobar-Mirador, his brother, Benjamin Maniago Escobar and his wife, Dolores (Dolly) Escobar, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Lolita (Loling).

Rudy and Lydia were married on November 9, 1963, at the Church of St. Michael's in Yokohama, Japan. Rudy honorably served our country in the United States Navy for over 25 years. He served duty stations in Japan, Alaska, California, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, then settled down in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area of Virginia. One of his career highlights was when he was stationed aboard the USS Hornet, when it was the recovery ship for Apollo 11 (crewed by Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin) and Apollo 12 (crewed by Conrad, Gordon, and Bean). He retired from active duty in 1981. He went on to work in Civil Service until his retirement in 2012.

Some of the fondest memories of Rudy from his family include: when we were young, he would give us each a kiss on the cheek and say "Have a nice day!" before he left for work in the morning. On our birthdays, he would pick us up, lift us over his head, and repeat, "Happy Birthday" for each year of age. When we were old enough to drive ourselves, he'd see us off by waiting in the doorway of his Virginia Beach home and waving us safely along our journey. For each accomplishment we received, he would give us a huge smile, a strong handshake, and a big, "CON-gratulations!"

Rudy's legacy will always be his family, his son, daughters, grandchildren, and beyond, who will always live their lives to honor him, by continuing to make him proud. And with each success and every accomplishment, we--his children and grandchildren--will look toward Heaven, remember his huge smile and his strong handshake, and know he is cheering us on with a big, CON-gratulations!

Dad and Papa, thank you for giving us so many fond memories to carry with us. We are blessed to have shared our lives with you. Through your hard work and sacrifice, we learned the true meaning of dedication. You are a role model for strength, kindness, integrity, faithfulness, and love. Thank you for doing so much for your family so that we could experience our fullest lives. We appreciate all you've done for us. We know that you are perfectly healthy now. You've reunited with Mom up in Heaven, and you both are joyfully watching us.