George Jontilla Cano, Jr

Dearest Georgie,
You have been gone for a few days now and I have been processing your passing.

I am in SHOCK and there is such a void in my heart and I feel for Charlene and the kids.

I am finding comfort in spending time at West Seattle Golf Course and of course Foster Links. I have listened to the many stories of your dear friends and people whom I know you considered family.

The servers and bartenders have been very gracious in listening to me share stories of our childhood and of course, I had a “peach crown” in your honor.

You and I were the middle kids of the 4 and we always had to jockey our place in the world. Growing up with you I used to taunt you with the song Georgie Porgie Pudding Pie kissed the girls and made them cry. Then your response back to me was we must, we must, we must increase our bust so all the boys will have their joys and then I would attempt to punch you. Eventually, that sibling exchange would turn into me saying Georgie, Georgie, Georgie and I would shake my head thus causing up both to laugh our asses off.

You were short but were famous for “palming the ceiling in our house” and I think that by doing your motivation was that either your basketball game would improve, or you would get taller.
Who knows but Mom would say oh look at those marks on the ceiling.  Our chores included kitchen clean up and somehow you always said hey I will dump the garbage and away you went out the back door. Thus, never coming back and leaving David and me to finish the chores, I used to get so pissed at you cuz Mom would say where Georgie is and I would say he went out the back and never came back. HA HA!! 

Nevertheless, I was proud to be considered Cano’s little sister and we grew close each time we lived close to one another as adults. Once in West Seattle and then again in Fairwood Greens. It is there where you nicknamed the neighborhood kids the mooners as the Larsen boys yelled at you when you were putting late at night. They said hey mister and suddenly dropped their pants. Your comeback was to shout you little fuckers.  The next day you met the Larsen boys at my house and you said hey we have already met, remember me the old guy who you showed your asses to. HA HA it’s me. Oh shit, it was hilarious. That name stuck for many years with those kids.
I think the funniest story I will always remember about you is when we took all the cousins to the easter egg hunt. You just had vasectomy surgery and had an ice bag in your crotch. I had my tooth pulled so my mouth was numb and I could not yell. You convinced me to join you and we were a pair. I had to chase the kids and you directed the cousins with your mouth yelling go get those eggs. I am sure we were an eyesight. Like Chayna would say two dorks doing it together.

I recall the day you came home and told Mom that you had eyes on a cute cheerleader at school. I said like I ass well good luck with that. Well, you got your lifelong cheerleader, and Charlene was and is the love of your life. 

She was also my protector and gave me my first bob haircut, which I was so proud of when she was at Mr. Lee’s Beauty school. In later years she gave my oldest son Alex his first haircut. In our family, it is considered a Filipino tradition to let the baby’s hair grow for the first year. Baby Alex’s hair was so long. Charlene and I had to hold him down and she gracefully put his hair in a ponytail and just like that Alex became our Little Filipino Boz mimicking that Seahawk player. We both were sweating so much because he just cried and we had to twist and turn him so much.
 I have been listening to your favorite music these past few days and the one song that reminds me of you is You’re Still a Young Man by Tower of Power.  I can hear you singing it driving in that convertible red beamer you had. Living in Fairwood,

I see you pass me on my Sunday morning runs, I would see you with your shades and golf hat, Sunday was your golf day and you always looked so happy. I am sure the Sealth kids will miss you and the many people you have touched as Coach Cano.

You will always be my big bro Georgie and I have been sharing all our escapades with Chayna about your early newspaper routes that you ditched, and I got stuck helping you fold the newspapers only to know that you sometimes did not deliver them. As a teenager, you drove our parents nuts but you made him so proud by working at Boeing and serving our county during your time in the US Navy. 

Mom loved being a grandmother and presenting Issac to her as her first grandchild made her very proud of you. Issac is your mini-you. You know Mom loved it when you wore your military uniform to church at Christmas.

When I miss you, I will take Chayna and Rachel out shopping perhaps, grab some Wendy’s chili, and get a maple bar to honor you. We will laugh about your numerous times telling us that you had girth. HA HA!
I can meet Issac for a peach crown and for sure there will be a family outing at Nile Temple Golf Course this summer to honor you. It will be great to get Leila and Mia on those links with the cousins. 

Rest easy bro your life was good!!!!!  I love you and will miss you so much. Give Mom and Dad a kiss for me okay?

Your little sister Moosh-