And Raoul was outstanding in the way he use pens in sketching beautiful women in beautiful clothings. The skill I had in illustrating people paled in comparison to his talents.
A lively guy who wanted to enjoy life to its fullest, Raoul was an upbeat talker with a ready smile, at times cajoling or even keeping things light, that makes the conversation as interesting as it could be. But unlike the PD'CLEFF (Paquibot Dagpin Cortes Literatus Edralin Falcasantos Fargas) who largely preferred to group in together in free times, he seemed to easily fit in with any boys and girls in the class. And in such a mixed group we sometimes found ourselves across him or beside him in many games of volleyball, which he preferred to play more than anything else in sports.
When Batch 1986 graduated, I lost contact with almost all classmates including Raoul Ortega.
But chance encounters in Cebu City where I studied in Medical Technology informed me that Raoul pursued his studies in Nursing. Not long later as I finished my studies and passed my licensure examination, I met him in the University of San Carlos-South Campus (formerly Girls' High) where he taught Nursing subjects in the College of Nursing inside.
Many of the last things I knew of him was his short stint as dean at the College of Nursing in San Jose Recoletus University. He already told me that he was leaving for the United States of America in the coming months. Thereafter, I kept in touch with him through our respective accounts in Facebook.
The news that Matthias Neil Velasco messaged me of Raoul's death on 5 October 2010 (Tuesday) was a shock. But having encountered death in the past, his passing became easy for me to understand. His death though brought home to me that the students in the Batch 1986, under our adviser Mr. Wilfredo Gementiza, had started to grow old. His death was the first in our batch as far as I know. And that's something to think about. His death though promised to leave some graces that we who were left behind in this life can use for our spiritual growths as persons.
I always consider death not as the end of it all but a passage towards an incomparably beautiful life before the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what keeps my mind hopeful that Raoul Ortega may have left this life for good, but he will be waiting for all of us in some beautiful place somewhere in the world of the spirits.
Ermalyn Jamelo-Menchaves texted me a serendipitous thought that touched to human mortality and the will of God... IN HIS TIME...
In His time
He makes all things beautiful
In His time...
Goodbye, Raoul Ortega... in behalf of your classmates at Saint Vincent's College Batch 1986.
Note: Fellow classmates who want to leave final words to our friend Raoul Ortega may post your comments in this blog. If you have a photo of Raoul, please send so I can post it here. Thanks.
WAKE at Visitacion Rivera Funeral Homes in Dipolog City from 18 to 22 October 2010
FUNERAL on 23 October 2010 (Saturday) at 3:00 PM, opening with a Mass at the Cathedral.
FUNERAL on 23 October 2010 (Saturday) at 3:00 PM, opening with a Mass at the Cathedral.
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