Flore Aguilar Bulaon's Obituary
Flore Aguilar Bulaon, formerly of Dededo, Guam, passed away at home in Dupont, WA on August 16, 2014. He was 87 years old. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m., on August 29, 2014 at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, 5715 108th Street S.W., Lakewood, WA 98499.
Mr. Bulaon will be remembered by his family as a man who did things “his way” — with discipline, courage, kindness, and always with a plan. He raised two families: first, his seven younger brothers and sisters in the Philippines following World War II; then, his own three children on the island of Guam. He was able to do this as a proud and dedicated member of the federal civil service maintaining and repairing satellite communications networks on military ships and submarines, and retiring after 38 years as a Navy electronics technician.
He met and wooed his future bride, Fumiko, on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, where she was working at the BX and he was shopping for music. It was their shared interest in music and their Catholic faith that marked their courtship and life together. After raising their family and retiring from full-time work, Flore and Fumiko had leisure to pursue his great love of travel. Their adventures took them to Singapore, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, New York City, Paris, Berlin, the Greek islands, Turkey, Croatia, Venice, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Boston, North Carolina, Provence, St. Petersburg, and London.
Mr. Bulaon taught by example, more than by lecture. “Be grateful,” he taught by recognizing the contributions of those around him that many people miss — he left gifts for the mail carrier and the trash collectors as well as neighbors at Christmas. “Be prepared,” he taught in how he organized and planned everything in his life. “Never stop learning,” he showed his family by dedicating a whole room in the house to a full encyclopedia, National Geographic subscriptions, and his own library of history, mathematics, finance and electronics. “Forgive and embrace,” he lived by honoring his wife’s family even after they had shunned the newly-weds after their inter-cultural marriage. “Mystery, class, discretion,” were the qualities he would always say drew him to his wife, and were the qualities he urged his daughter to cultivate and his sons to look for in their wives.
Mr. Bulaon is pre-deceased by his wife of 44 years, Fumiko. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Victor & Angela Bulaon of Washington; son and daughter-in-law, Patrick & Jennifer Bulaon of Guam; and daughter and son-in-law, Maria & Troy Kitch of Maryland. Additionally he is pre-deceased by his brothers, Moj, Ereneo, and Teofilo; and his sister Eufresina Manlapig. He is survived by his brother, Francisco; and sisters Soledad Bulaon, Lourdes Bulaon and Felicitas Juco. His lasting legacy rests in his grandchildren, Nicolette and Nicolas Kenji, and Victor Florencio Masato.
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