Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Saying goodbye to Bro/Dad Poy Gomez, September 25 & 26

September 20, 2011, Tuesday, was a sad day for Freemasonry and DeMolay. Bro Conrado (Poy) Gomez (JD of Fil-Can Cabletow Lodge No 189; Chapter Dad of Winnipeg Chapter, Order of DeMolay; Senior DeMolay, Jose Abad Santos Chapter, DeMolay Philipines; Member, Khartum Shriners) passed away that morning.
On September 25, Sunday, a DeMolay Memorial Service was officiated by the PMC's of Winnipeg Chapter, Order of DeMolay. Dad Poy was the proud Chapter Dad of Winnipeg Chapter, the first Chapter chartered outside the U.S.A. and which made DeMolay an international organization. He was also very proud that his grandson, Dreden (the one on the right in the pictures below) became a DeMolay and became his brother.
RWB Dave English, Dean of the Neil Bardal Legion of Honor Preceptory, presented posthumously the Legion of Honor (LOH) on Bro/Dad Poy.










The LOH cordon, jewel and certificate were presented to Sis Cris Gomez, who proudly included it in the display of various paraphernalia of Dad Poy.

PMC Kristian Regalado presented one of the favorite DeMolay talks of Dad Poy, the Dad Frank S Land Talk.


Thus ended the DeMolay Memorial Service.









The Active and Senior DeMolays joined in singing the DeMolay Hymn from the Philippines. It was wonderful to see DeMolays of various ages to pay tribute to Dad Poy by singing the Hymn which he taught the Winnipeg Chapter DeMolays at one of the last Chapter Meetings he attended.




With the Active DeMolays taking turns as Honor Guard, the Masonic Memorial Service was held by Fil-Can Cabletow Lodge No 189.




The Brethren present paid tribute to Bro Poy.


RWB/Dad Brian Langtry, Chairman of the Advisory Council, Winnipeg Chapter, Order of DeMolay gave a eulogy focusing on Bro/Dad Poy's DeMolay life and contribution.
Bro Martin Gatan, a Senior DeMolay from the same Chapter as Dad Poy, came in from Calgary to pay tribute to Dad Poy. Dad Poy was the godfather of the eldest daughter of Bro Martin.











Wakes (lamays) or viewings are celebrations of lives of our beloved departed. As in all wakes of those of Filipino heritage, there was a lot of food.






On September 26, Monday, the Freemasons took turns as Honor Guard.

Bro Rey Galapon (L) and Bro Arnold Calambacan Sr (R)








Bro Orly Perez (L) and VWB Jun Pagunuran (R)

RWB Junn Manalang (L) and VWB Bert Manalang (R)








MWB Ted Jones (L) and RWB Reyne Cruz (R)

Bro Norman Manlapaz (L) and WB John Baptista (R)








Changing of the Guard

Bro Darwin Agustin and I took the next shift








Bro Mario Bulawit (L) and Bro Conrad Cabrera (R)

WB Glenn Baggao (L) and Bro Orly Perez (R)









Bro Conrad Cabrera conducting the Freemasons singing along.

The last shift was taken by Bro Norman Manlapaz (L) and WB John Baptista (R)








Bro/Dad Poy will be sorely and terribly missed. But he will never be forgotten.
Happy to have met and known you.
Sorry to part.
Happy to meet again sometime.
Until then, my beloved Brother Poy.

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