Here and There
PUNCH linking Dagupan to Florida, USA
By Gerry Garcia
MORE than half a century has elapsed since two long lost friends, this writer and the son of the late father-founder of the University of Pangasinan, Blas D. Rayos, Jr., separated ways following graduation from the University of Santo Tomas in the early 50’s, he as student of the College of Medicine and me from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.
The wonder of it is that Blas Jr. or “Benny” (as I used to call him then) who had practiced medicine and consequently retired in Indialantic, Florida (USA) and this writer here in Dagupan City were brought together again through the Sunday Punch’s being in the internet. And this is testified to by Benny himself who wrote in his e-mailed letter to me in September 2003: “The Rayos family and I wish to thank you, as Editor of the Sunday Punch. We enjoyed your articles, especially your Editorial Columns which are free of bias and prejudice and you have always shown a sense of fairness and justice for all which sysmbolizes the Freedom to the Press.”
Benny was elusive in his delight for owning a laptop through which he could attain convenient access to information relating to his hometown Dagupan City and the province.
He was no less enthusiastic and proud to announce “Our family has three journalists which include my eldest son, Joseph Blas who is currently with the USA TODAY newspaper, a National Weekly, in the sports division, D.C. My daughter Gail Lynn in now Managing Editor of the business division of the Orlando Sentinel of Florida. Gail is married to her VF School of Journalism colleague who is currently a photo-journalist of the Orlando Sentinel.
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Benny’s wife, by the way, is Bernice, an American nurse now also retired. Daughter Carol Louise is also a nurse, a Board-certified Nurse Anesthetist. She has just retired from the USAF NURSING CIROS with rank of Major. She is married to Capt. Daniel Davis, a pilot in the US Air force reserved.
Blas Jr., a Rayos son not keen on UPang’s change of ownership has evidently given up hope of ever coming back as a balikbayan . . . as his youngest joy, daughter Kandace Alys had just delivered her valedictory address Summa Cum Laude graduate of Florida University with Bachelor of Arts in English Literature degree.
Benny said Kandace further pursued some post-graduate studies as Scholar at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, earned an M.A. in English Literature and subsequently a Ph.D.
She further attended Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. and graduated with the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence. She then took the Bar in Los Angeles, California and is presently practicing law with a firm in Los Angeles.
(Readers may reach columnist at sundaypunch2@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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