Hi Brods and Sis, Brother Architect Angel B. Abad, APO-Delta chapter at Mapua Institute of University, charter member 1952 (national number 70), turned 91 on March 1, 2010, and died of prostate cancer on Thursday, October 7, 2010. Born in 1919 in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, The Philippines, “Papa,” as we affectionately called him, married the former Gloria Tenmatay of Sampaloc, Manila, who was born on March 12, 1927. Papa and Mama Abad were wed on December 22, 1951. They had six children, the third child being Brod Rolando “Rollie” Tenmatay Abad (June 7, 1955-August 30, 1977), APO-Eta, Zodiac 1973D.

When my batchmate, Rollie, died in a rumble, Papa and his family right away pursued the formation of the Rolando T. Abad Engineering Scholarship Foundation. A number of UP students, Alpha Phi Omega members and nonmembers alike, have been beneficiaries of the 33-year old foundation.

The Abad family, with APO legal support, also pursued Rollie’s killers. After five years in the court of first instance, four years in the court of appeals, and four years in the supreme court — 13 years all together — the homicide conviction of Rollie’s assailants took hold. According to Papa, two of them (Benjamin L. Camins and Rodolfo T. Daza) were able to change their identities and flee to the United States. And, as far as Papa knew, of the two other convicts (Mario M. Rilles and Juancho T. Jaime), one already died and one was seriously ill.

Zodiac 1973D batchmates met Rollie’s family during our initiation weeks. The night before our final initiation, all twelve of us slept in Rollie’s bedroom and in the third floor room accessible by using a wrought iron spiral staircase. At the time, the Abad residence on 11 Roseville was the tallest structure in the White Plains Subdivision in Quezon City, Metropolitan Manila. Our initiation was conducted in Pasig, and we made it back to Rollie’s rooms after and nursed ourselves there.

Papa and Mama knew what we were up to, and they were always supportive of their children. Even with Rollie’s passing, the family would welcome APO to their home warmly. Brod Titus, the fourth child, joined Alpha Phi chapter even after the incident. And Rollie’s death anniversary was marked with mass and fellowship at the house that Papa designed and built.

Angel B. Abad, architect, studied at MIT in Santa Cruz and Intramuros in Manila. He graduated in 1951 and taught for 20 years in the MIT departments of chemical engineering and architecture. He took the board examinations in architecture in 1960 and placed third. He was a fellow of the United Architects of the Philippines and was active with the UAP Quezon City chapter.

Angel and Gloria’s six children were: Oldest daughter Malou married Rocky Reynolds, and they live with their daughter in Veradale in the suburbs of Spokane, Washington. Oldest son Edward and Eva Marie nee Padilla live in Quezon City with their three daughters. Then there’s Rollie, whose remains were first buried at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina and then moved to the Christ the King crypt in Greenmeadows when Mama passed on August 17, 2006. Next is Brod Titus who married the former Erlee Santos. They live with their two daughters and one son in Daniels, West Virginia, where Titus is a practicing doctor. Michelle, the youngest girl, married Ronald Ariban, and they have a son and live in Quezon City. The youngest son, Gabby, is still single.

Two years after Rollie died, Papa started to devote himself to building churches and chapels. From 1979 until his retirement, Architect Abad designed and supervised the construction of at least 13 religious buildings. Four of those are the Christ the King church on Greenmeadows Avenue, the San Andres chapel and parish center in the White Plains Subdivision, and two in Barangay Bagumbayan, all in Quezon City. Other communities that benefit from Papa’s apostolic work are in Dagupan City, Iligan City, Batangas, and Pangasinan.

For his dedication to the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II honored Papa with a plaque of distinction. Jaime Cardinal Sin presented the following award on January 8, 1987 (in Latin):

IOANNES PAULUS II PONT. MAXIMUS
AUGUSTAE CRUCIS INSIGNE
PRO ECCLESIA ET PONTIFICE
EGREGIA OPERA STUDIOQUE CONSPICUIS PRAECIPUE CONSTITUTUM
D.no Angelo Abad
DECERNERE ET LARGIRI DIGNATUS EST, EIDEM PARITER FACULTATEM
FACIENS SESE HOC ORNAMENTO DECORANDI
EX VATICANS DE VIII JANUARIS MCMCLXXXVII

The plaque, signed by the Pope, was displayed behind Papa’s desk in his office on the main floor of his home in White Plains.

“God gave us three gifts: the gifts of time, talent, and treasure,” said Papa. “I don’t have much treasure, but I have time and talent. I do apostolic work as insurance upstairs,” he quipped. “Of real value is not what we have, but what we have done with what we have.”

God gave us Papa and Mama Abad, who in turn shared Brod Rollie with us. We value Rollie’s precious little time, Papa’s generous talent, and all of Mama’s treasure.

In Papa’s passing, and in remembering his life and times, we realize the worth of his apostolic work. Accepting His will be done, Papa honored God and us. It was a privilege to have learned and served, cried and laughed, and loved and prayed with Brod Architect Angel B. Abad.

In Leadership, Friendship, and Service,

Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr
APO-Eta Zodiac 1973D
APO-USA Gamma Beta 1984