Fortunato "Nat" L. Calacat Obituary (1936 - 2021)

Nat Calacat was born to Casimero Calacat and Celestina Lomod in the town of Loboc, province of Bohol, Philippines, the second child and the first boy, for 9 years, in a family of ten children. Nat died a sudden death on June 9, 2021, in Seattle, Washington. In the US, Nat is survived by Nellie, his wife of fifty-nine years, his children: Antonio Buenaventura Valentin (Tony) and Holly, Maria Josephine (Josie) and Brion Jerome, Maria Nelia (Elette) and Aaron Miles, Aileen Marie Lourdes and Michael Miles and Joseph Fortunato (Joe) and Delphine; thirteen grandchildren, five great grandchildren, three grandchildren-in-law, brother and sister-in-law, Sam and Susan, cousins, nieces and nephews in different parts of the US. In the Philippines, he will be missed by three sisters, one brother and countless cousins, nieces and nephews and a whole host of relatives. Family members love Nat most for his diligence, industriousness and constancy. From an early age, he displayed an ambition to do better in life than his then present circumstances. His children and grandchildren will remember their Dad and Grampy for the good example he gave them about the value of work, of doing your best in everything you do and about never giving up. By the age of 12 years, he was already earning money to help the family out by gathering and selling coconut wine, and by doing carpentry work. In his younger days, we would remember Nat for his energy, his boundless enthusiasm for life, whether it was driving to LA for a three-day weekend visit to relatives or having one project after another. After finishing first year high school in his hometown, he left Bohol, first for Mindanao, then for Manila. Friends and family mostly remember Nat for his fierce love and devotion to his wife and his children. They would describe him as kind, generous, hard-working, quiet, humble, faithful to his wife and a loving family man, always well-dressed, and smiling. One grandchild described him as a towering presence, another said his Grampy taught him the importance of "till death do us part", and another said, Grampy is my hero. Nat graduated with a degree in Business Administration, major in Accounting. Before he left for the US, he worked in Accounting both in the private sector and with the national government. In Seattle with his family, Nat worked in the same field of study and training, Accounting and finance-related employment with the State government. Nat was a deeply religious man and actively practiced his Catholic faith all his life. Although they were still in their senior year in college when they decided to get married, still they got married in church, albeit a very simple wedding, believing that God will bless their marriage if they did things according to what they believe was right. Every evening, he and wife faithfully prayed the Rosary. Nothing brought joy to Nat's life more than his children. None made him happier than seeing his children grow to become good people, to be good spouses and parents, law-abiding citizens and God-fearing adults. That would be his definition of success as a parent. Nat's greatest passion was spending time with his family. When his children were in their teens, they would all go skiing on Winter weekends, or play tennis or go to the park summer afternoons. Nat's challenges in life centered around his family, illnesses of his children and his wife, raising teen-agers, and being able to provide for their education. It was a big challenge for Nat and his wife, when their firstborn, Tony, got sick, they had no money and they didn't know what to do. Nobody has health insurance in the Philippines, even now. Their landlord pointed them to the charity clinic run by the Franciscan priests. Thank God for the Franciscans and their ministry to the poor. That experience opened their eyes to the needs of the poor and the realization that whatever blessings they received are not for their enjoyment alone but are meant to be shared. Nat has come a long way from the young professional who brought his family to Seattle fifty years ago, in 1971. His loving and unselfish spirit has also brought three siblings to the US, helped them find employment and improved their family circumstances forever. His sudden death is mourned deeply by his wife and children and by the many whose lives he has touched by his kindness and generosity. So now, God has now said, "Well done, good and faithful servant; come and share your Master's joy."