Pedro Miranda Ulatan Jr.

Pedro was born on February 10, 1947, in Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines to Pedro Ulatan, Senior and Simporosa Miranda Ulatan. He was the youngest of 6 siblings and made his presence known from a young age.

Pedro notably served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years, retiring as a Gunnery Sergeant in 1996. His career expanded from Subic Bay, Philippines, to Honolulu, Hawaii to Camp Pendleton, located in Oceanside, CA. GySgt. Ulatan served as a Military Police Officer, U.S. Marine Corps Recruiter, and as an Operations Chief for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) at Camp Pendleton, working to plan and participate in large-scale amphibious training exercises and selected maritime operations. Upon his retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps, Pedro pursued higher education, earning his associate’s degree in accounting from Kelsey Jenny College in San Diego, CA. Pedro retired from his second career as an Account Technician in 2017 with AMN Healthcare.

Pedro was a sports enthusiast, enjoying football and basketball, and named Joe Montana and Jerry Rice as his favorite athletes. He also enjoyed music, action movies, and trying new restaurants. But overall, Pedro adored his family. He was a loving husband, father, uncle, and grandpa. He devoted himself to give his family the American dream, relocating his family to the United States in the early 1980s. His many sacrifices and dedication to provide a loving home will have an everlasting effect on all that knew him. His smile brightened up any room, and he loved to make everyone laugh. Pedro always made sure there was freshly cooked rice in the rice cooker, made the best corned beef, spam and eggs around, and attended mass every Sunday. He was a man of routine; he was the first one to wake up and left a lingering smell of Calvin Klein Eternity wherever he went.

Out of all the roles Pedro has had in his lifetime, his favorite was being Grandpa or Papa. He spoiled his grandchildren and loved to treat them to frozen yogurt, donuts, or a spontaneous shopping trip. Papa rarely said “no,” and he loved his grandchildren fiercely, proudly sharing his Marine Corps experience, making sure they were never hungry, and taking them on weekend getaways.

Pedro is survived by his beloved sweetheart of 48 years, Aurora Ulatan, his two children, Peter-Mark and Mary-Christine, his daughter-in-law Tara, his goddaughter Elaine, and his grandchildren Bautista, Giuliana, and Israel.