Good afternoon. My name is Jaena Rae Cabrera, and I am Geronimo’s eldest and only granddaughter. I am beyond honored to be standing before you today.

Thank you all for coming. It is so heartwarming to see all the lives my grandpa touched.

A huge part of me still doesn’t want to accept his passing as reality. 

But he’s now with God, and it’s time to celebrate him. 

Geronimo Cabaccang Cabrera passed away on Father’s Day, June 18, 2023, surrounded by three generations of the family he fostered. He went peacefully, showered in our love.

My grandpa was a singular force in my life. I have many fond memories of him throughout my childhood, and I’d like to share a few to show you what kind of man he was.

Some of my earliest memories are of my grandpa. I remember sitting at his knee while he read the newspaper. I remember doing jigsaw puzzles with him at the kitchen table in the wee hours of the night. It was a special treat to stay up and spend time together while the rest of the world was sleeping.

I thought he was the smartest man alive. He was always working, tinkering around the house and garden. He got me through all the math I had to endure in school, almost all the way through to calculus, a miracle in itself.

Pops was always finding things to entertain us kids too. He used to tie a string to those big green beetles that buzz around during the summer, and we’d run around the front yard with them. 

In retirement, Pa stayed busy with the house and family. He worked in his vegetable garden daily, and like our family, it flourished under his care. He loved our grandma deeply. When she suddenly passed away in 2008, Pa kept her memory alive for another 15 years. I’m happy they’re together again now.

Pops spent his time doing what he loved. He enjoyed going to mass at St. Philomena, sometimes several times a week when he was still able. He could also be found hanging out with buddies at Burger King. 

In his final days, I asked him a lot of questions about what it was like in the Philippines before he left, and I marvel at how far we’ve come as a family because of his decision to come to the United States in 1968. He worked tirelessly for a year to bring my grandma, dad, and aunt here. I asked him about his work as an engineer, and how he kept getting raises at his company because they didn’t want him to leave. I learned he’d tell his friends I was his rich granddaughter in San Francisco. (I’m not actually rich, btw).

We spent a lot of time watching The Gameshow Network and tennis in those last few days. I will always cherish that time. He often seemed lost in thought; he knew his time on this earth was coming to an end. He’d tell me he was going to fight. He advised me to use my PTO now and not wait for some uncertain future. He’d also say he was ready to see Ma again, a clear window into his mind.

Pa was always strong, in both body and mind. He could also be stubborn, a trait which I think many of us inherited. But it is this strength and stubbornness that will ultimately get our family and loved ones through his absence.

My grandpa raised his kids in a new country and watched the family grow and grow. I see and hear my grandpa’s legacy in my nieces’ and nephews’ laughter as they run around the house and yard we grew up in.

We are the fruits of his vision, and we will keep him in our hearts as we continue his legacy.

Again, I thank you all for helping my family celebrate my grandpa’s life.