In Memoriam
Donato F. "Dony" Joaquin Jr. '57
b. Oct. 5, 1938 - d. Nov. 15, 2022
May 21, 2022..... left to right, Bobby Dominguez '57, Toots Lucero '55, Dony '57, Joriz Singson '69, Ver Aesquivel '55, and Art Cordero '75
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Our dearest friends, my dearest Dony has passed on to be with the Lord at 220 pm yesterday at the UCLA cardiac icu center . He was on 24 hour dialysis and bp
Life support without which he coujd not survive . . He was pain free and very comfortable when he passed on with just comfort care meds when they disconnected first the bp meds then the 24 hour dialysys machine . He had no tubes or Ivs in his body and no artificial oxygen in his mouth . He and I were positive for Covid and daughter Nadine and I were the only ones allowed in thr isolation area where he was . However UCLA had zoom facilities set up so all the rest of family And even all Dony’s siblings could zoom with him avd my sons and even apos and a sister sang to him . He was asleep towards the last 2 of the 3 hours he was still with us but we were told he could hear up to the end . It was more like celebrating his entry into heaven rather than dying that we were experiencing . When he actually died at 220 pm the nurse had to tell us he was already gone because he still seemed to be breathing and looking like he was just asleep . We as famiky were so happy with. thr way he died . I’m quite sure he was too . Rest In Peace my dearest Dony . Thank you Lord for such a peaceful and even joyful ending for my Dony . (from Nina Joaquin)
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" Donatski" was my frat name for him. Dony was one among my first "idols" in my time. I could count several other "diehards"in batch '57 - Gicer, Bobby, Art, and of course Jesse Ejercito.... Dony was Herald, and he urged me as his "heir" to that position. My dearly beloved room mate was"friends" with Nina... and when they were residing in UP Village ( or was that Teachers' Village?), we would be invited for dinner occasionally. My dearly beloved became closer to Nina when they were both attending... with Maricris Garcia.... the same Evangelical church in Makati in the 80s.
I've always liked Dony.... he was always calm.. he exuded an aura of confidence... i would say he was like a Howard Roark... who wore the face of a man who had neither guilt nor fear.
And he has one (among the many) trait I like... he wrote and spoke in clear English, and ya, he possessed that gift of wit....
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Dony ran marathons.. although there was one where he was advised not to proceed.. a warning sign about his heart.. But still you'd think he'd be among the last to have a cardiac arrest.... and that he was in dialysis is surprising. he was lean in college, at work, and last i saw him some years back...
That freakin' Covid is really dangerous for us ancient argonauts.......esp if you have some co morbidities ....
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I was touched by Nina's narration.. that Dony died peacefully, without pain or struggle. Who wouldn't want to die like that? There is a Catholic prayer, composed by St Alphonsus, for that wish..
Through your help I hope to die a happy death. O my Mother I beg you, by the love you bear my God, to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Do not leave me, I beseech you, until you see me safe in Heaven, blessing you and singing your mercies for all eternity. Amen, so I hope, so may it be.
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I have not gotten to really know Brod Dony as I am a relative late comer into Tau Alpha, but we belong to this wonderful family of Argonauts plus plus. Reading all the compliments made me see the man he was and what he left behind.
ReplyDeleteSail on, Brod Dony, your mission on earth has been fulfilled. You now have your new place in Heaven.
My condolences to the entire Joaquin family.
From Lanny'58:
ReplyDelete"I'll always remember Dony's eloquence. He was one of the most dominant among the brods that I feared and respected when I was undergoing initiation in 1958; but he never laid his hands on me during that frightful ordeal. He had this noticeable ring in his finger that has inscribed in it: "Death before dishonor!" That inscription defined his character to me right there and then. Sail on, Donato Florendo Joaquin Jr.! May the Lord bless and comfort your Nina. ...lanny '58"
From Bob Dominuez'57:
ReplyDeleteDony'57,
My kabatch, among the truest of Tau Alphans, the truest of my generation .I would like to bid you "Rest in Peace", but knowing you, exploring around in the heavens would be hard for you to resist. I can also just imagine the joy of reuniting with the '57s who have gone before, perhaps just in the next dimension.
This is not a farewell, for as long as we remember, you and the rest of our kabatch who have gone before are still alive:
Gil Albino
Jing Barretto
Jimmy Batnag
Pat Brillantes
Nonong Divino
Nonoy Duran
Dony Joaquin
Primo Libatique
Ray Mata
Lut Morales
Billy Zablan
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Sincere condolences to Nina and the Joaquin clan.
To our beloved Brod Dony Joaquin’57, a Titan:
ReplyDeletethe sun also dies
sitting full lotus
on the proverbial
himalayan mountain ledge
mudra and eyes
straight across the
crimson horizon
once more
for another setting
of the day
shimmering a haze
of a bluish universe
beyond
and yet still far
beyond in space
dark streaks
seemingly coming forward
but remain still
a black mysterious
sequins mirage
an image perceived
in solitude with the sun
day in day out now
in full focus
ah our world
our sun star
its planets of gases
of rocks
mysterious
spinning nonchalantly
eons and eons
from the chaos
big bang
like a rush hour moment
in big asphalt gardens
of the world
galaxies
running like a thief
with a precious haul
our milkyway
like a screaming newborn
just flying
and spinning
not knowing where to go
just straight out to
nowhere with precious
paradise earth
yet our mortal selves
in the tiny grain world
we live in we go around
unperturbed by the
frenzy of the outer space
the speed of light life
of the universes
the einsteins space
and time
we seemed to have
found a niche
on planet earth
focused on our
dreams our happiness
our loves adventures
our own universes
our families
matters not if only
for a slice
of a moment’s time
in space infinite
our paradise home
eons caught flitting
clustered
in the cold space
warm by a star
far away in the horizon
our father sun
the purveyor of life
now aged
itself is slowly dying
like my old
faithful friend
my aging body
slowly bidding me
goodbye
smiling it’s last smiles
like the sun sharing
the last magnificent
gift of life
my body and I
the last sunsets
we will see
in our solitude
on the sacred ledge
of the himalayas
the sun also dies
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(c)ndr11.14.2022
photo:ndr Durham NC sunset
...as is true in the vast voidness of cosmos stars die and reborn...like our body from where our souls will emerge to find a new home... and on and on... a journey repeated for eternity.,,
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Vic
1d
Beautiful poem Brod. Very fitting you posted it today when we learned of Dony’s passing. Yes Brod, the sun also dies.
A giant shadow
He cast amongst all of us
Titan forever
Passing on he leaves a void
Ache in our collective hearts
Reply
Nelson D Reyes
8h
Thank you Brod. Posted poem and not a minute later I learned that Brod Dony passed on. I was stunned. Sad. Ironic coincidence. Will miss a Titan of a Fraternity Brod.@Vic
Reply
Nelson D Reyes
8h
👍Indeed. May he Rest In Peace.@Vic
Reply
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Robert L. Martin
1d
Great poem. Must have taken a lot of thought. I love the style. Who is Dony? Was he a friend of yours?
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Nelson D Reyes
8h
Thank you Robert. Dony was a friend from a college fraternity Tau Alpha at the University of the Philippines. Founding was inspired by the Greek mythology adventures of Jason and the Argonauts @Robert L. Martin
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Francisco Potato
6h
Great poem brod Nelson. A timely tribute to our brod Dony.
Reply
Nelson D Reyes
6m
Indeed to a Great Titan of Tau Alppha Fraternity, University of the Philippines. We will sorely miss him. @Francisco Potato
From a 2017 poem “Unbroken…sail on dear brother “:
ReplyDeleteUnbroken
Sail On Dear Brother
Bright blue beads sprouted yet single continuous strung together
With the same aspirations purposes likes connected with love aglow
Honor and pride dreams and despair in family we all grow
We congregate socialize adjust engage intensify we laugh we work
This is who we are hewn out of the same igneous rock yet unique
…
A family of faith honor bound we are beholden to beauty the truth steadfast we keep
The line of blue beads will wear yet will remain rejuvenated woven with new golden ones
Intermittently we pause when one on the thread suddenly flickers and dims
We come together congregate as we have always done before
Honor celebrate the life of our dear departed Brother
A Tau Alphan a Golden Bead taken close to our hearts we bid him “Sail on dear Brother!”
We remain unbroken our brotherhood will ever transcend
impermanence
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From Ver Aesquivel'55:
ReplyDeleteBrod Dony. One of my closest ones. Sail on and we’ll meet again. Condolences to the family.
Tribute to Dony'57 by Danny Sarmiento'60:
ReplyDeleteI have known Dony for decades and have so many good memories of our time together. One event in particular had a very big impact on my life.
I was invited by a dear friend to join Tau Alpha during my last year at UP. I didn’t have a clue about what would happen if I joined a fraternity.
On the eve of my initiation all of the neophytes were gathered in a room in somebody’s house. I was still curious about what was going to happen. Dony gave some advice to all of us. He said something like “Don’t quit. Because, if you quit you will be branded as a quitter for the rest of your life”. That wise advice stuck with me and I began to realize that what was about to happen next was very serious. With this advice in mind I said to my self that I will go through the initiation no matter how difficult it will be. I didn’t want to be branded as a quitter.
From that moment on, for every task or endeavor I take on I always follow it through. I do my best to finish. It’s a compulsion in me that I have to finish every job.
I continue to follow Dony’s advice to this day. I am about to face the most difficult and potentially risky challenge of my life. As I go through this I will remember Dony’s advice and never quit. When I come through this challenge successfully it will extend my days in this world.
Thank you Brod Dony. May you rest in peace for eternity and may God Bless Nina and your wonderful family.
Danny ‘60
From Rolly Calalang'57 ...
ReplyDeleteI will also add to Danny's words that since I've known Dony, he's always been one the most positive thinkers, bold and challenging. He's the "let's do it brod" brod. And I will always remember him as "one of my best friends" brod.