Domingo S. Cadaing Jr.

Domingo S. Cadaing Jr. 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.

Domingo was born on August 8, 1935 in Manila, Philippines. His parents were Domingo Sr. and Illuminada Cadaing. Domingo was raised in Santa Mesa, Manila, Philippines. 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 Cadaing 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, Domingo 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. Domingo was raised with seven siblings named, Joel (deceased), Osing, Ning (deceased), Mike (deceased), Caring, Nene and Bennid. Domingo was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Domingo and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Domingo was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Domingo 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. Domingo 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. Domingo took part in table tennis and basketball. In his spare time he liked to play with his siblings. However, what Domingo enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Domingo as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Mapa High School in 1950. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Domingo was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Domingo 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.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Domingo handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Domingo was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Domingo was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Domingo well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. His favorite course was Physics.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Domingo 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, Domingo 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 Domingo 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, he mostly hung out with his brothers and sisters along with some of his church friends.

On November 30, 1957 Domingo exchanged wedding vows with Luz Barrazona Lagasca at the Calvary Foursquare Church in Manila, Philippines. Compassionate and devoted to Luz, Domingo 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 Luz and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Domingo 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. Domingo 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. Domingo was blessed with four children, one daughter, Abigail, and three sons, Ariel (deceased), Domann and Ephraim. He was also blessed with seven grandchildren, Abby Alexis, Ada Alexandria, Abraham Alexander, Caleb, Joshua, Elijah (deceased) and Elisha.

Domingo 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. Domingo 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, Domingo 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 as a Field Engineering Supervisor. Domingo managed the first local escalator and elevator projects in the Philippines. He also implemented hydraulic stage lifts and theater curtains for the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Domingo worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Domingo 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, Domingo always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were watching Fist-O-Rama, playing computer Solitaire and Tetris, gardening, working on cars, and dining out. Domingo was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Domingo found pleasure in sports. 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. In high school, Domingo played basketball, table tennis, bowling and swimming. In his college years, Domingo continued to stay active by playing basketball. Recreational sports included basketball, table tennis, bowling and swimming. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were boxing, tennis and baseball.

Domingo was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of the Foursquare Church for all of his life. During that time, he was a church usher and Deacon. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Domingo was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Some of Domingo’s favorites were his Canaries and Parakeets. His family was rounded out by his fresh water fishes.

When Domingo’s retirement finally arrived in 1992, 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 Sacramento, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing with his grandchildren. Even in retirement, Domingo 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.

Domingo S. Cadaing Jr. passed away on May 17, 2012 at the Methodist Hospital in Sacramento, California due to cardiac arrest. He is survived by his wife Luz Cadaing; his children Abigail Sugay (Alex), Domann Cadaing, and Ephraim Cadaing (Diana); and his grandchildren Abby Sugay, Ada Sugay, Abe Sugay, Caleb, Joshua and Elisha. Services were held at the Chapel of Roses at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. Domingo was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Domingo Cadaing Jr. 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.