There are four of us in the family: Wilfredo, Leopoldo, Thelma and Cynthia in chronological order. We all move to the Hermosa house (1083) around 1950 with my parents. Lola Menay stayed with us too. We have one maid Binyang who were with us for a long time until she retired. We all went to the same elementary school Felipe Calderon Elem. School which is a block from our house. We also went to the same high school Manuel Luis Quezon High School. This school is a walking distance from our Hermosa house.
Taken in Alabama where Fred relocated. Standing are Jonathan Eugenio, Andy Eugenio, Pol Calimbas, Pawan Madhok, Fred Calimbas. Sitting are Nicki Calimbas, Raymond Calimbas, Guing Calimbas, Ma Nelly Calimbas, Thelma Calimbas Madhok, Cynthia Calimbas Eugenio, two babies Avni Madhok and Amanda Eugenio. In front are Napoleon Calimbas, Mark Calimbas, Omar Calimbas and Bess Calimbas.
Wilfredo Calimbas
Freddie or Fred is the oldest in the family. He was a mechanical engineer studied at Mapua Institute of Technology and graduated from Feati University. He worked as a packaging engineer in the Philippines and continued that career in the US.
Fred was kind of aloof from us although we did spent some time playing together. In later years we play chess every afternoon. He would beat me and I would beat him. He has his own barkada and I have my own. Fred is fastidous in the clothes he wear, the shoes he have. He is a very handsome young man. He always combed his hair neat and tight. I look up to him being my older brother but we rarely talk. My grandmother Lola Menay said his favorite is Fred. During the Japanese occupation in WWII when Fred was a baby, they fed him the only chicken egg of the day. Fred likes to play the guitar. He also likes to draw. He draws faces of movie stars like Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley.
Fred married Guina Garcia from Quezon province. They have three children- Bess, Mark and Napoleon. I remember holding Bess in my lap when she was a baby. Mark and Napoleon was born in the US. They immigrated around 1969 and firstly settled in Seattle, WA. I came by there when I immigrated myself but I continue on to Chicago. Then Fred found a job in New York. He drove his Mustang across the US from Seattle to NY. He told me he took in two hitchhiker girls who were going to attend the big gig in Woodstock. So this must be Aug. 1969. They settled in Nyack, NY. His family still lives around there. Fred continued as a packaging engineer where his talent for drawing is used plus his mechanical engineering background.
Fred died on Aug. 2012. Fred died of a little known but deadly disease called Cadasil. Even some doctors do not know what is this disease. Cadasil is Celebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy. It is a form of hereditary crebral angiopathy. It is caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene. This condition is inherited from one affected parent. In few cases it may result also from the new mutations in the gene. Do we have a history of cadasil or cadasil-like sympton in our family? I do not know of any member of our family, from father to mother with a similar sympton. Although my father died at an early age of 45, none of his siblings were sick with anything similar to that disease.
Fred divorced from Guing. For a while Fred lives alone and then he decided to go back to the Philippines. He lived in my mother's house in Hermosa. He lived together with a woman named Myrna and had a daughter Lilian. I visited him from time to time noting that his condition is getting worse. From a stutter to shuffle walking, not being able to walk, to being bed ridden. We transferred Fred to a nursing home. Myrna and Lilian left the house and were gone from his life forever. Around August of 2012 we got a call that Fred condition worsen and he died soon after. Thelma, Cynthia and myself traveled to the Philippines for the funeral. Fred was cremated.
Thelma Calimbas Madhok
We called Thelma "Be". She is the third child. Thelma is the most studious of the four of us. She was salutatorian in high school. She graduated at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila as a summa cum laude which is the highest grade one can achieved. She went on and obtain a Doctorate Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota and did several post doctoral work. She married Pawan Madhok from India. Pawan also studied at the University of Minnisota with two doctorate degrees: Financial and Engineering.They have two children Avni and Rishi. They settled in Minnesota in a town called New Brighton not far from Minneapolis.
Thelma got married in India. My mother traveled there to attend the wedding. They were the only two who attended. They were living in Minneapolis by that time attending school. So at that point of time, the four of us were scattered all over the US. I was in Chicago later to Texas, Fred is in NY, Thelma in MN and Cynthia is still in the Philippines. Cyn immigrated to the US later. My mother Nelly will also join us at some time. Ma Nelly alternated living with Thelma, Cynthia and with me.
Cynthia Calimbas Eugenio
Cynthia or "Cyn" is the youngest. She graduated valedictorian in high school. Actually Cynthia is the first one who went the US. She was a Fullbright Scholar and at an early age was sent to the US. She stayed one year with a family in Maryland. Then she came back to the Philippines and then went back again to the US on another scholarship. Cyn worked briefly in the Philippines.
Cyn married Andy Eugenio and they have two children Amanda and Jonathan. They settled in Memphis, TN. Andy is an Arts Director at Fedex and Cyn also worked for Fedex.
We called Thelma "Be". She is the third child. Thelma is the most studious of the four of us. She was salutatorian in high school. She graduated at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila as a summa cum laude which is the highest grade one can achieved. She went on and obtain a Doctorate Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota and did several post doctoral work. She married Pawan Madhok from India. Pawan also studied at the University of Minnisota with two doctorate degrees: Financial and Engineering.They have two children Avni and Rishi. They settled in Minnesota in a town called New Brighton not far from Minneapolis.
Thelma got married in India. My mother traveled there to attend the wedding. They were the only two who attended. They were living in Minneapolis by that time attending school. So at that point of time, the four of us were scattered all over the US. I was in Chicago later to Texas, Fred is in NY, Thelma in MN and Cynthia is still in the Philippines. Cyn immigrated to the US later. My mother Nelly will also join us at some time. Ma Nelly alternated living with Thelma, Cynthia and with me.
Cynthia Calimbas Eugenio
Cynthia or "Cyn" is the youngest. She graduated valedictorian in high school. Actually Cynthia is the first one who went the US. She was a Fullbright Scholar and at an early age was sent to the US. She stayed one year with a family in Maryland. Then she came back to the Philippines and then went back again to the US on another scholarship. Cyn worked briefly in the Philippines.
Cyn married Andy Eugenio and they have two children Amanda and Jonathan. They settled in Memphis, TN. Andy is an Arts Director at Fedex and Cyn also worked for Fedex.
