Saturnina M. Solidarios' Obituary
“Nina” was born in Manila, Philippines, on November 27, 1915, and obtained a teaching degree from Philippine Normal College, and enjoyed her career as an elementary schoolteacher in San Luis, in Batangas province. The Philippines was then a territory of the U.S., so when World War Two broke out, her family fled to the neighboring island of Mindoro to escape the advancing Japanese forces. They ultimately returned with her sister Jovita, and parents Aquilino and Felipa to their home in the historic heritage city of Taal, where they would live out the war years. His grandfather would later tell Serni that there were good people, even amongst the invaders, and luckily they safely survived through to the war’s conclusion, when the American occupation began. Nina took a job as the chief of the telephone operators for the U.S. forces based in the provincial capital, and it was there that Sergio “Sol”, Solidarios, a San Francisco-based commercial artist-turned paratrooper, met her. Ultimately marrying and moving to Pittsburg, California in 1948, she settled in as a new immigrant, but with frequent exploration of her new country. Ultimately joined by their spoiled kid, Serni, they moved to Monterey, California and, following Sol’s deployment to Newfoundland, they relocated to Tacoma, Washington, becoming one of the first Filipino families in the area. Seven years out of the tropics, these immigrants jumped into a northwest lifestyle celebrating fishing, clamming, gardening, showing orchids, camping, and happily sharing the cold winter experiences with other immigrating newbies, who became lifelong friends. Another transfer –to Bavaria, Germany, meant three years of living in Alpine towns, and traversing European borders every summer. Returning to live on Ft. Lewis, and then a year living in the Philippines, “S3” settled in Lakewood. But travels continued, and Nina made numerous returns to the Philippines, and was able to also revisit Germany, Amsterdam, Boston, Vegas, D.C. and the Carolinas. Her best trip was at 80 years of age, to Jerusalem and Israel. The photo shown was taken on one of Nina’s last trips, to Death Valley and Mono Lake. She passed on to her Heavenly mansion on January 14, 2015.
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