On Saturday September 12th at 2:30 pm, I held my Dad’s hand as he took his final breath on earth. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to talk to him in those final moments. I whispered into his ears thanking him for being a wonderful Father to me and my two older brothers.

Our Father, Florencio “Sandy” Santiago, was a very good man.

Dad was extremely hard working. He provided us with abundant food and shelter. He gave us many gifts but the greatest of these was teaching us lessons of love, humor, generosity, patience and faith, all of which were central to who he was. My brother Glen reminded me that he probably got many of these gifts from his father, the Rev. Florencio Santiago. They shared a belief of helping others whenever possible. That is something that they both did amazingly well.

Dad married the love of his life, Lucille in 1954 and was a devoted husband and partner for 66 years.

Sandy and Lucille’s Wedding Day - January 23, 1954

Our parents adored spending time together. They loved to travel and took us to many exotic places while we were growing up. Our Father especially loved going to Puerto Rico to visit his aunts and uncles.

The Santiago Family - Miami, Florida 1966

Some of our favorite family memories were made during our travels to Hawaii.

Dad at the Kodak Hula Show, Waikiki 1969

We spent many of our Christmas Vacations on the island of Molokai.

It was because of our Dad’s love of travel that we left Michigan and relocated to Oahu, Hawaii in 1987.

After serving in the Army, our Dad worked as a truck driver and car salesman while going to school at night. He graduated from University of Detroit Mercy College in the early 60’s with a degree in Business Management and Accounting. Dad got a job in the Graphic Arts Industry, where he worked for 10 years. He then established his own company called Litho Photo Supply where he was President for over 25 years. Soon after moving to Hawaii he started Litho Photo, Inc which he ran for 18 years.

Litho Photo, Inc Blessing - Honolulu, Hawaii 1988

After retiring, he and Mom volunteered with Meals on Wheels, served as greeters at their church and started a wedding vow renewal business.

Just before my 25th wedding anniversary, Dad was diagnosed with dementia. Even though he was having some challenges, he didn’t let that stop him from conducting our ceremony.

Derek and Cindy’s 25th Anniversary Vow Renewal

Our parents were best friends,

They were inseparable right to the end. Our Mom devoted the last 8 years to caring for his every need as he battled dimentia. Anyone who has dealt with dementia knows what a grueling disease this is and how hard it is on loved ones. Mom demonstrated unconditional love, incredible strength and courage as she provided Dad with the most amazing care.

Even though he had dimentia he continued to stay positive and embrace life and all of its challenges. I don’t remember a single day growing up when I heard him complain or saw him angry. Even when facing challenges, he always had a smile.

Our Dad taught us to enjoy and embrace life. Dad had no fear interacting with strangers. He loved meeting new people and made friends easily. He was always looking for ways to encourage and bless others.

One of the things I miss the most is his sense of humor.

Our Father LOVED TO LAUGH.

He laughed loud and deep!

Dad would laugh until he started to loose his breath and tears would flow down his cheeks. It was infectious.

Baba at Kalani’s wedding - December 2017

I am tearing up now just thinking of how much I will miss his funny stories and the way he made us laugh all the time.

Dad had a beautiful singing voice that he used mostly in church but he also used it to entertain and make us laugh at home. For the past few years my Dad was unable to talk. When I was with him, I would often sing to him or play his favorite hymns. When Dad would hear the music, he would respond by smiling and raising his hands as if he was back at the Grosse Ile Baptist Church conducting the congregation as they worshipped.

One of the greatest lessons my Dad ever taught me was about faith. I saw my Dad reading his bible daily when I was growing up. I knew he had a strong personal relationship with Jesus and that is why Dad had so much joy.

On Saturday morning, I was reading the Bible to start my day. As I read Psalm 112, I immediately thought of my Dad. These words described him so well that I actually wrote the words “my Dad” on the page.

In hindsight, I can see how God used this passage to remind me how blessed I was to have such a good Dad. He also used it to prepare me for what was to come because unbeknownst to me, this day would be Dad’s last day with us.

I am grateful that my Dad not only taught me and my brothers so many valuable life lessons, but he also passed those lessons on to his grandchildren. From the day they were born, he gave so much of himself to love on my son and daughter who called him “Baba”.

He played with them at the park, swam with them in the ocean, coached their teams, took ukulele lessons with them, attended every sporting event and even blessed them with the gift of traveling. He enjoyed taking them on trips to the outer islands, Disney World and especially Puerto Rico. I am glad that my kids got to spend a lot of quality time with him while they were growing up.

Dad would tell them his old army stories over and over again. One year as a gift we gave him a book so he could record his stories. I am so glad we did because now we have them in writing so we can continue to read his stories and remember him.

As I sat in my studio thinking about my Dad today, I wanted to make a card that would express my love for him. I chose the stamp set, A Good Man. Below is the card I created to honor my Dad. Like my Dad, the card has a very humble exterior and a positive message.

The inside of the card however, is colorful and encouraging just like my Dad. He was such a loving and supportive Father who was always had my back and was always there when I needed him.

I created the aloha shirt by stamping the image onto a piece of Designer Paper and then cutting it out. I wanted the Dad in this image to look as if he was wearing a Christmas Aloha Shirt. My Dad had an amazing collection of Reyn’s Christmas Aloha Shirts. He had enough of these shirts to wear a different one each day of the holiday season. He was wearing one of these treasured shirts when we said our goodbye’s to him for the last time.

After taking this photo of the card I sat and stared at our pool for a little while. Dad loved to swim. I remembered all the times during our travels how Dad would take me swimming. I would wrap my arms around his neck and he would carry me across the pool and deliver me safely across the deep end and back.

I always felt safe in his arms and even as I continued to grow up, Dad continued to support me and carry me through life with his wise counsel and love.

I am grateful that at the start of this year, my brothers came for a visit. I had just finished my final chemo treatment so there was much to celebrate. Dad really perked up when he saw my brothers. That visit was so special. It was the last time we were all together as a family. It was the last time we heard Dad laugh.

Santiago Family - Kapolei, Hawaii January 2020

I miss my Dad so much but I know that he is in a better place. I imagine he and his Dad sitting together in heaven sharing stories. They are speaking in Spanish (cause my Grandpa told me that’s the language they speak up there, lol) and they are laughing loudly.

Dad isn’t here but his spirit will always be with us and with the many lives he touched. If that is you and my Dad impacted your life in some way, rather than send condolences, would you share a story or memory about him in the comments below. Let’s celebrate his life the way he would want it, with joyful remembrances!

Dad, just as I’m holding you in this photo, I will continue to hold onto the wonderful things you taught me. Thank you for not just teaching me with words but with your actions. I want to love God and others like you did. I want to have joy and do my best to encourage others. I want to count my blessings and live life to the fullest. I will continue to tell your stories and look for every opportunity to laugh until I cry. Thank you for the unconditional love you gave me everyday of my life. Thank you for being there and always believing in me. Thank you for always taking such good care of all of us. Don’t worry about your sweetheart, we will take care of her. I love you so much Dad. I am so grateful that I was blessed to have someone as special as you are to be my Father and friend. Thank you for teaching me to smile!

I will forever hold you and cherish you in my heart.

Cindy

COMMENT FROM MY BROTHER GLEN

My Father loved life. He grew up between New York (Brooklyn) where he was born and Detroit.

Sandy, Chila, and their Grandmother(?). Summer, wooden steps, location unknown.

Here he is with his baby sister Isobel. We think this is in Detroit and we think his Grandma Isabel is behind them. One thing is for certain, he never lost that smile!

Glen Santiago

COMMENT FROM MY BROTHER GORDON

My Father was a large part of who I am today. He was a role model for me as I had the opportunity to work with him for 11 years in Michigan

Graphic Arts Show - Detroit, Michigan 1982

and then 15 years in Hawaii.

I was reminded daily of what it meant to be a Christian and how to apply those principles in business. I believe the success he had in business was largely due to his belief system and always doing the right thing. He instilled in me a strong work ethic and the desire to continually improve my knowledge in an industry that is still evolving today. After living in Michigan for a number of years I returned to Hawaii in 2009 and lived with my parents for 7 years until we decided that Michigan was going to be our home. It was hard to leave as my father was just starting to show signs of declining health. I miss him daily but will always strive to live my life as he modeled.

Gordon Santiago

WELL DONE THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT - Matthew 25:23

FLORENCIO M SANTIAGO

October 7, 1932 - September 12, 2020

A Good Man

Ornaments For Hope

Cookies + Cards = SMILES

Stamped With Aloha