Our Lord received into his embrace Nereo Moisterio Loresto who passed away in Irvine, CA October 12, 2010. He is survived by his loving family: wife Adulfa Loresto, daughter Marisol Chang, sons Ray and Nereo Loresto, sisters Prudencia Pahilga, Lilia Loresto, Sr. Maria Aucelia Loresto, his brother Mauro Loresto and grandchildren Trinity, Nereo, Christian, Michael and Roman.

He was born on the Philippine island of Panay, in a small strip of sand in the southern tip of the province of Antique called Anini-y. Though he was deeply loved as the youngest of his family of five sisters and one brother his life started out early with the tragedy of his mother dying while he was still very young. So he grew up with mischief at his side as an island boy from a very remote province. But he was raised by his family to work hard and study hard.

While in the Philippines he signed onto the U.S. Coast Guard and came over the United States as a young man. He met and fell in love with his wife Adulfa Puring. They started a family quickly and after moving around a bit they settled in Oxnard, California. Education was the focus of Nereo’s lectures. He always told us, his children how important it was to learn to read, to write and do well in math. It wasn’t until a number of years later after working various jobs that Nereo pursued his own education in Nursing. He greatly enjoyed taking classes and started from scratch at Ventura junior college and then going on to receive his BSN from California Lutheran University. This was a great accomplishment while still raising his family with Adulfa. It was also hard to argue with him about going to college when he did it the hard way.

Nereo loved eating, cooking, watching sports, playing tennis, playing volleyball, biking, swimming, he loved music especially the Beatles & Elvis, he loved telling jokes and laughing. His children remember him most either at the piano playing and singing or in the kitchen cooking and telling stories. Till this day I swear to you His Adobo chicken is the best we have ever eaten. But he loved his family the most as shown by the many sacrifices he has given. To all who have met Nereo they know him by his easy going smile. No one we know of could resist the quiet charm of our father.

Our father for the last 10 years suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Without a doubt this disease has taken away some of his greatest joys. So for many of us there is happiness that his suffering has come to an end. He has paid his penance for a decade and so I assure you all, he is already at the dinner table of God asking for dessert first and probably telling the offensive joke about the duck at a cock fight.

Nereo’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Thomas More, Irvine CA on Friday, Oct. 22. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.