I just wrote up the text for my grandfather's memorial handout. It was hard to sum up that life of his for a little card. Here it is.
Jose Bravo Sibayan, Sr., 92, of Tampa was born Patrocinio Sibayan in Bangued, Abra, Philippines on May 18, 1918 and was baptized Jose in 1920. He passed away peacefully Tuesday, January 25, 2011. He is survived by his children: Antonio, Liberty, Aurora, Jocelyn, Ernesto, Roberto, Jose Jr, 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was a soldier, entering the Philippine Army in 1936, a P.O.W. during WWII, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and retired as a Major from the Philippine Army in 1965. He was a lawyer, passing the bar in 1950. He was an instructor at the Philippine Military Academy from 1957-1965. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1971 and became an American citizen in 1973. He founded the Pilipino-American Association of Tampa Bay in 1975. He loved God his entire life. His ambitions as a child were: to have a pension, to be a Captain, to be a lawyer, to be a teacher, to see Manila, to see America, and to see Heaven. He has achieved all his ambitions. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m., February 5, 2011 at St. Paul Catholic Church, 12708 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618.
