Obituaries

Santiago D. Abad, Jr., (88), of Union City, California, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2023, after having his favorite “last eat” before bedtime, ube ice cream, and his family said good night. Santiago, fondly known as Papa Tiago, was born to Santiago P. Abad, Sr., and Sofriana D. Abad on January 18, 1935, in Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. He attended Mapua Institute of Technology in the Philippines where he met his beloved wife, Constancia (who he called Cons), and graduated in 1960 as a Professional Chemical Engineer. After moving to the United States in 1971, he began his career as a talented Design Engineer until he retired in 1998. After retiring, he and Cons spent their days taking care of their grandchildren or going shopping. He also worked on house and yard projects to make their home more welcoming.

He and Cons were married on June 25, 1961, and are survived by their three children, Carla and her husband Raul Jimenez, Jordan and his ex-wife Mireya Zuniga, and Cheryl and her ex-husband Michael Coleman. He is also survived by his four grandchildren Alex Jimenez, Gavin Coleman, Atley Coleman, and Colin Abad, and by his sisters Adelaida Abad and Teresita dela Cruz. Santiago was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, and sisters Rolinda Cabreros and Socorro Cañada.

Papa Tiago loved to travel with his family and friends to Europe, on road trips in America, or taking cruises. His favorite destination was to Barcelona where he and Cons enjoyed the views and time away from their children. He was often found behind the camera taking pictures and recording videos. He spent a lot of time video editing to make CDs of vacations, random family moments, and big events, which he always shared these precious memories at parties. After Cons passed away, he watched these often and missed making new memories with her. He visited her niche regularly and told stories of the grandkids. From building cabinets and caring for others to being behind the camera and telling our stories, Papa Tiago was the keeper of our family’s memories, and he will truly be missed.

Santiago’s family will host a viewing and vigil on Sunday, February 26th, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the vigil at 3:00 p.m. The viewing will be at Fremont Memorial Chapel in Fremont. A funeral service will be on Monday, February 27th, at 10:00 a.m. The service will be at St. Anne Church in Union City. Santiago will be laid to rest beside Cons at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery at a later date.