Proceso Bumanglag Mandac
July 2, 1937 - May 11, 2008
Obituary
Proceso Bumanglag MANDAC Born 7/2/37 in Ilagan, Isa., Phil., entered God’s eternal rest on 05/11/08. The loving husband of 40 years to the late Leonora Mandac. Along with his late wife, he devoted his life raising 7 children and 6 grandchildren. He sacrificed much so that those who came after him could have a better life. He cherished spending time with his children and their families, especially the grandchildren. We’ll celebrate his life on 05/19/08, 9:00 a.m. at Beacon UMC, 7301 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle. Internment immediately following. Viewing will be held on 5/16/08, 4-8 p.m.5/17/08, 9 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. and, 5/18/08, 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Bonney Watson Washington Memorial Park. 16445 Int’l Blvd, SeaTac. www.bonneywatson.com
Proceso B. Mandac
In Memoriam
A part of me died the day I learned Proceso Mandac died. I lost an uncle, a “brother” and a friend all at once. Growing up in my grandmother’s home, I was associated with him at an early age.
My earliest memories of Uncle Cesong are those of candies and all kinds of sweets. I was a toddler when he went to the Old Centro Elementary School. I remember that every afternoon without fail he would bring home a candy or two that he bought from his daily allowance. They walked 4 kilometers to and from school everyday for at that time there were only a few horse-drawn carriages. I was 5 years old when he went to high school and he had to live with relatives in the poblacion to come home only during weekends. I remember waiting for him every Friday afternoon because he would not miss bringing home candies for pasalubong. Later on I watched him act in their high school production of “Forest Prince” Operetta.
The summer vacation coincided with the harvest of most farm field crops. We would engage in many farm chores as harvesting maize, peanuts, watermelons, and tobacco. We always enjoyed participating in these farming activities. In the evenings we would compete in catching the June beetle, a delicacy among Ilocanos. Also, at those times the Magat River would be ideal for fishing and we would catch the “ikan,” bukto” mullet and the “purawan” river prawn using throw nets. Once, the fish net got entangled at the bottom of the river about 4 meters deep. To untangle he had to dive deep and I believe those repeated dives must have damaged his ear drums because from then on his hearing was impaired. While fishing we had lengthy conversations about many things including how one could have a better life.
In 1964, he guided me to the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna where I went to earn a college degree. That was my first time to be away from home. I remember that he made periodic visits to Los Baños to make sure that I was doing well. In retrospect, I believe that he really wanted me to get a good education. He wanted me to achieve what did not materialize for him! That was unselfishness of the first degree on his part.
He loved his family very dearly. In the late 1970s he realized the constraints imposed on getting a good life in the Philippines. So he decided to seek for greener pastures in the US. Visiting with him in Seattle some 20 years later, he gifted me with a very expensive pair of shoes perhaps his way of telling me “here I’m OK.” He helped relatives back in the Philippines financially and otherwise.
The last time we had spoken to each other was in early November last year when his health was already fragile. He mentioned about dying and wished to visit the Philippines one last time. That wish did not materialize. He knew the gravity of his ailment so he simply asked me to give everyone a big hug! I know he was thinking about all of us up to the last moments of his life.
Let me end with the lines from William Wordsworth –Excursions: The Churchyard Among the Mountains
“And, when the stream
Which overflowed the soul was passed away,
A consciousness remained that it had left,
Deposited upon the silent shore
Of memory, images and precious thoughts,
That shall not die, and cannot be destroyed.”
With warm regards and affection to the Mandac Clan in Seattle.
Abraham Mandac
To the Mandac Family,
Deepest condolences to all of you. That was a most beautiful service for your dad at Beacon UMC yesterday. Most moving eulogies by Jessica, Juliet and Robert. The slide show with Robert singing was very poignant and meaningful.
Jane and I knew your mom and dad for 30 yrs. It is still one of our greatest joys and blessings in life to stand up as ninang and ninong at Grace and Joseph’s wedding three years ago. I felt that your dad and I established a closer bond that day.
You can tell a lot about people by the way their children turned out in life. When we see the Mandac Family, we see real goodness and dignity, honesty and integrity, kindness and compassion. This is surely what we saw in your mom and dad.
May the Holy Spirit comfort you all and keep you all strong at this time. Remember, this is only a temporary physical separation. Cling on to His promise that you will see one another in Heaven again someday.
Love always, in 1000 characters,
Joe and Jane Wu
We will never forget your trips here in the Philippines. You have shared very memorable moments with us. You have done a lot of good things to others. We also cherished the fond memories that we had when we visited you there in Seattle. Thanks for everything. We love you to our cousins, nephews, nieces. Please accept our heart felt condolences.
We will miss you dearly Itay, but we rejoice in knowing that you are reunited with Inay in Heaven. Thank you for all that you’ve done for us, for all that you’ve sacrificed, and for your unwavering commitment through your unconditional love.
Itay,
A poor man in the eyes of those who does not know him because they value money…
A rich man in the eyes of those who knows him because they value love,
A Husband, A Father, A Lolo, and A true friend, for those who loves him,
Sitting next to Inay, smiling down on us, With God by their side…the pain is gone…
A man who has devoted his entire life to God, his family, and to his friends.
You will always be that person who had impacted our life with so much love, tenderness, compassion, and truth…thank you Itay.
We Love you…
Robert, Pam, Jessica, and Justine
Dear Itay,
Thank you so much for your unconditional love and sacrifices. I couldn’t ask for a better father. Your children have better lives because of your commitment and determination to make sure our future is secured. You were a good provider. You made sure there’s always plenty of food for everyone to share. As you always say, “food makes you smart”.
Now that you’re finally joining Inay in heaven, I’m sure you will always guide us in whatever we do. You will always be in my heart and I will miss you dearly.
I Love You,
Nova Mandac