Reynaldo Delacruz Corate

California passed away surrounded by family in the early morning hours of February 12, 2024, in his

home in San Marcos, California.

Reynaldo is survived by his loving wife of nearly 59 years, Leonila Corate, and his daughters Leonora Corate, Dr. Lalaine Corate Mehboob, Liziel Corate Alberto, Esq. and his only son, Ronald Corate. He also leaves behind grandchildren Safi Kamran Mehboob, Maya Aliyah Mehboob, Izarra Rose Alberto, Archer James Alberto, and Franco Navid Corate. He is survived within his own family by brother June (“Baby”) Corate and sister Florita (“Tita”) Corate Mitzel and is predeceased by elder brother Cesar Corate, elder sister Linda Corate, elder sister Juliet Corate, mother Flora Corate, and father Protacio Corate.

Rey was born in Manila, Philippines on February 17, 1942, a tumultuous period in Philippine history

which saw the invasion of the main island of Luzon by Japanese Imperialist forces which lasted from

January 1942 to the end of WWII in 1945 when they finally surrendered to U.S. and Allied forces. While

not directly affected by the Occupation, the experience during his early childhood influenced his desire

to join first the Philippine Air Force, and then the United States Navy in 1964.

On December 8, 1965, Rey married the love of his life, Leonila Guiao Manlutac, in a ceremony held at the

over 400-year-old Spanish church of St. James the Apostle Parish in her hometown of Betis, Guagua,

Pampanga (a site to which they would return in 2015 to renew their vows for their Golden Anniversary).

His first duty station with the U.S. Navy was on board the Attack Cargo Ship U.S.S. Skagit, on which he

went back and forth between U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and Naval Base San Diego and later, to Vietnam during that conflict. His first child, Leonora, was born at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1968 and in 1969 flew with his wife to San Diego, California to join Rey for a new life in the United States. In 1970 they welcomed their second child, Lalaine, in San Diego, where they were stationed for three years.

1971 saw the family stationed in Pearl Harbor U.S. Naval Base, Honolulu, Hawaii for a further three years

where they welcomed his first and only son, Ronald. Following their time in Hawaii and tours of duty

in Great Lakes, Illinois, and Alameda, California, respectively, the family returned to San Diego where in

1981 their final child, Liziel was born. Before his retirement in 1989 as a Chief Petty Officer (E-7), the

family spent a final three-year tour of duty at Yokosuka U.S. Naval Base in Japan.

Rey was above all else a hardworking and devoted family man, and career Navy man who at several

points throughout his military career supplemented his income with additional employment, including

stints as a bartender, cab driver, and film projectionist. Always wanting to better himself, he even took

the time to earn a two-year Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego City College. Following his

retirement in 1989 from the U.S. Navy he spent an additional 16 years working as an electrician at

NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding Company) in San Diego.

Though nothing pleased him more than making his family happy and comfortable, Rey was also a sports

enthusiast who loved boxing, football, and baseball and had a love/hate relationship with local San Diego

teams, the Padres, and Chargers. He was also a fan of Muhammad Ali and later, Manny Pacquiao. He loved movies as well, especially war/military movies like Bridge on the River Kwai and Top Gun. He amassed an impressive collection of movies on physical media. As a lifelong Catholic, he was devoted to his spirituality. He also had an artistic talent not many were aware of and was very talented at drawing and had exceptional penmanship. Because of his deep love for his wife, he sponsored several members of her family (including her parents) in their quest for U.S. citizenship. He looked forward to going to the

casino once a week with his wife and her family in later years.

In 2007, he attempted corrective surgery for partial paralysis in his spine but tragically the result was full

paralysis and he was confined to a wheelchair and home care for the remainder of his life. But it never

stopped him from living his life as best as he could and in 2015 and 2019, he made difficult journeys to

the Philippines for his daughters’ weddings (along with his own Golden Anniversary ceremony in 2015).

He lived a full and colorful life devoted to his family and he will be missed by all who knew him.

Viewings will take place March 2nd from 4-8 pm and March 3 rd from 2-6 pm at El Camino Memorial Park

and Mortuary, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd., San Diego, CA 92121; the Funeral Mass will be held on

Wednesday, March 6th at 10:00 am at St. Mark’s Catholic Church at 1148 Discovery St., San Marcos, CA

92078; followed by Military Funeral Honors & Burial at 2:15 pm at Miramar National Cemetery, 5795

Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122.