Leonard Baduria's Obituary
Aloha Gramps
By: Monica Seguancia
And as I reflect, the valley was quiet,
the sun shining bright, a moment of misty rain,
My family bonded by love, as we held our angel—
peacefully resting, not a sign of pain.
On this heavenly day, the 11th of May,
we hugged, we cried, we gathered to pray,
Please God, let our angel return home safely,
to be with his mother on this Mother’s Day.
And by God’s grace, he journeyed to a better place,
where there is no sense of time or day,
To our grandfather, father, brother and friend,
the memories we have will never fade away.
Leonard Baduria was born on November 21, 1931,
a very special day we will always remember,
for it is the day we celebrate him in Vegas,
every year, in late November.
A skilled player of a game called Craps,
The Cal’s golden arm champ, as a matter of fact.
My grandfather was a man of many talents,
a trained boxer and bowler, to be exact.
“Leo Baduria- one of the finest boxers in the Far East.”
“The best in Tachikawa,” the newspapers would say.
However, those trophies never measured up to his greatest win of all,
of being an exceptional father in every way.
My grandpa was a hard working man,
and a single father of three.
He humbly did it all, selfless and unconditional,
and that’s who he will always be.
A man of honor and dedication—
he was simply the best,
he always put us first,
anyone who knew him could attest.
He never had millions,
yet he so willingly gave to others.
There was always 20 bucks in his pocket
for my sisters and brothers.
Gramps had a sense of humor, an infectious energy,
“Don’t take life so seriously,” that was his rule,
“Be safe. Give the right of way,”
and always “be cool!”
As the days move on,
we will forever be missing you,
Your silliness, your charm,
the laughter behind everything you do.
I feel your gentle presence in the wind
and the warmth of your smile in the sunshine
I have a piece of your heart,
and you will always have mine.
In the words of Frank Sinatra, you would agree,
“I’ve lived a life that's full. I've travelled each and every highway,
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.”
Aloha Gramps and a hui hou
I love you more than you’ll ever know.
Celebration of Life will be held at the end of June. Please reach out to [email protected]
What’s your fondest memory of Leonard?
What’s a lesson you learned from Leonard?
Share a story where Leonard's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Leonard you’ll never forget.
How did Leonard make you smile?