Emily Palalay Albino Sana
I'm honored to share yesterday's Eulogy.......Good Morning Family and Friends....For some of you that don't know me....I'm from Maui where Manong Pas was born, I may not be his prettiest cousin but I know I'm his favorite....you know that I made that up...he was always fair and doesn't play favorites...Today is a sad day full of emotions under the shadow of a great loss in the passing of our beloved Manong Pas, yet it is wonderful to see so many people here, family, beloved friends, neighbors near and far. We are so grateful that you could join us in this celebration of life for Phillip Palalay Ragragola. He has been taken from us. In his passing, I feel a personal loss, too great to put into words. His encouragement, counsel and wisdom have meant so much to me over the years. I want to speak less about what Manong Pax made, and more about what made Manong Pas. How do you summarize the most important examples of what he has done for his family, for the church, and to our community. Whenever I approached him for guidance, he used to tell me, GIVE IT TO GOD cousin...that is what I am going to do to honor him and my way of saying thank you Manong...his unconditional love and care to others without expecting anything in return is a gift to all of us...our start on the road to be like him in God's image...I would like to portray his life while reflecting on SUNRISE, SUNSET AND AFTERGLOW..The time of his life is characterized as a SUNRISE... It began on the island of Maui, he was born on February 18, 1934, grew up in sugar plantation camps, both on Maui and Oahu. he survived the war at a young age while he was in the Philippines. He later returned to Hawaii and resided in Waialua, graduated from Waiaua High School in 1954. Growing up during the plantation era, he was raised to believe that obligation to family were not just words, they were thought and deed. He married his soul mate, Glorina "Lolly" in 1956 and were blessed with 3 children, Devon, Chazz and Lael. They settled in Los Angeles in Manhattan Beach where he worked at McDonnell Douglas (which is now The Boeing Company) for 37plus years. Their house was always a place of great joy, laughter and a haven for friends and family, and good food of course...His family's welfare was always his priority, he worked tirelessly and even contributed his time being a home maker and working full time while his wife spend time in school to finish her masters at Pepperdyne University. Whatever his wife's dream was, it was his dream too...He was an avid traveler, took his family on road trips across the United States and cruised all over the world, he sure was a wanderlust. Although he rarely fished unlike his brothers, he was a good cook, you would never go hungry when he's around. He has a collection of guitars, he can play bass, drums, and all types of percussion instruments. He has a gift of music and this he shared in family gatherings as well as in church, he loves to serenate, no wonder Manang Lolly fell in love with him, I believe it was love at first sight...how can you not with that contagious smile?Manong Pas wore so many hats in his lifetime, among them, a son, brother, husband, grandfather, uncle, friend, a leader. Varied responsibilities to be sure but he approached every role with the same guiding principles: hard work, dedication, honesty, good purpose and service. These principles along with a good sense of humor made him a success in everything he did...During his SUNSET years, he and Manang Lolly later returned to their island home here in Waialua, continued to serve all who needed him including those who didn't know they needed him. We each have been touched countless ways how he made a difference in our lives and all the wonders he left behind...We realize what he has meant to our church, families and those of us who have felt his wisdom and advice personally. He spent a lot of time tending to his family especially his grandchildren. God gave him a wonderful gift of caring and loving unconditionally. his entre life was