GOODBYE TO A GREAT MAN
By G. Monty Manibog Jr.
Dear Readers,
Husband, father of six, national gymnastics champion, Olympic wrestler, author, attorney, Councilman, Mayor, veteran, author, proud Filipino-American and my beloved father, is no longer with us.
Monty Manibog died Friday, August 12 at 9:53 in the morning at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 86.
Monty had been struggling for several years with a devastating lung disease. Fighter that he was, he resisted the ravages of Pulmonary Fibrosis until he could no longer, but to the end, he remained curious, inquiring, passionate, humorous, and devoted to his loving wife of 62 years, Jean, his large family, his friends and whomever he could help and serve.
Service was important to my father. He was the first Filipino-American to hold elected office in the US. Serving as Mayor of Monterey Park, California for thee terms. His father Gonzalo was the first Filipino-American to pass the bar in the United States.
In the 1950’s Monty was the Philippine national wrestling and gymnastics champion (with two separate national gold medals during his 5 year residency at the University of the Philippines. Monty was voted "Athlete of the Year" for two consecutive years while a student at the "University of the Philippines ". He competed as a wrestler in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, and was later gold medalist for 3 consecutive years in the California Senior Olympics in the 1990s (held in Alhambra, California) In the senior Olympics the competitors’ minimum age is 50 years. Monty struck gold at ages 63, 64 and 65, defeating seasoned high school and college wrestling coaches and former college national champions. Monty was was appointed and served as a professor of law at Van Norman University School of Law in Los Angeles, CA in late '60s and early '70s. My father was equally proud to be a U.S. Army veteran, having served shortly after the Korean War and to have served the Filipino-American community as a leader, voice and role model for the majority of his life. The desire to serve others is what motivated Monty to seek and to hold public office for so many years of his life. It is a value he instilled in all of us. It is also one of the reasons he loved writing his column, "Point Of Law", every week. It was a great delight for him to explain the law using examples from his own practice, history and especially current events. Even more important to my dad, he enjoyed sharing with you his life. Because of that, we would like to share with you, his extended family, one last time, one of his favorite columns which summarizes perhaps the most important parts of his life. We would also like to thank you for giving him the pleasure of reading and appreciating his work and serving so many of you. We have compiled in his honor a book containing all of Monty's Point Of Law columns through the year. It is available for any who would like to obtain a copy. We, his family meanwhile, will look forward to the day when we will see him again trusting in the promise of his and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Till then, dad, God bless and farewell until we meet again. A Memorial Rosary and viewing will be held for former, Monterey Park Mayor G. Monty Manibog Thursday, August 18 from 7:45PM to 9:00PM at Miraculous Medal Church at 820 N Garfield Ave, Montebello, CA 90640. Funeral services will be held at the same church Friday at 1:30PM followed by the burial at Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello. Thanks to the values he instilled within us his six children went on to productive careers: Monty Manibog Jr is the News Anchor for Fox Fresno Station KMPH
Lisa Manibog Lew Brennan (former Binibining Pilipinas International) is a 8 time Emmy Award winning Television Producer (Judge Judy, Cristina's Court, ..)
Ricardo Manibog (deceased)
Lana Manibog - Owner of Carte Blanche Teeth Whitening and Occasional Art Design
Dean Manibog - Owner of IT Company
Darren Manibog - Attorney at Law
Monty and Jean are the proud grandparents of 18 grandchildren.
POINT OF LAW
Thoughts on 60 Years
By G. Monty Manibog, Attorney at Law
May 2014
(Editor’s note: Former Monterey Park Mayor Monty Manibog is a contributing columnist offering legal tips and perspectives on high profile legal cases and events. Below is his article published nine years ago, changed only to reflect the 60th wedding anniversary instead of 50th)
This true life story is not exactly a legal precedent, but it begins with a “tort”, a civil wrong, assaulting one’s intellectual capacity, both slanderous and defamatory.
It begins with these fighting words:
“Shut the door you nitwit,” yelled the cute 13-year-old, red-headed, blue-eyed, freckled faced little girl sitting amidst a group of American girls on the deck chairs aboard the S.S. President Cleveland plying the South China Sea 64 years ago.
The 19-year-old young man, having entered the enclosed deck allowing a strong gust of cold China Sea wind to rouse the girls from their half slumber, walked back, closed the double glass doors, then approached the little girl and angrily asked “did you call me a nitwit?”
She quickly covered herself with a blanket while her girlfriends giggled as the young man stomped away muttering “brat” under his breath.
Sound like the start of a great friendship: Well, a bit more. With stops in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kobe, Yokohama, and Honolulu, the Manila-to-California voyage lasted 21 days and though she purposely tried to avoid him at first, their paths crossed daily—the swimming pool, Captain’s banquets, masquerade parties, deck games, et cetera,—they eventually became “buddies” and thereafter, pen pals.
Four years later, all of 17 and anticipating her senior prom, she answered a knock on the door. The now 23-year-old pen pal showed up and asked to take her to her prom. Flabbergasted and surprised and utilizing less than her best senses, she accepted and didn’t know why, especially since a 23-year-old man must have seemed ancient to giddy high school girls.
And, as in the classic storybook ending, “they lived happily ever after.”
By the way, the little girl was the former Jean Gingerich of Cincinatti, Ohio, and the former 19-year-old was yours truly, originally from the Philippines, though raised in Hawaii.
I trust my readers will understand and allow me this nostalgic trip down Memory Lane, but I couldn’t pass this opportunity—one in 59 years, to memorialize in writing how much I love and appreciate that former spunky little girl who became Mrs. Monty Manibog a half century ago.
Thanks Jeannie, for a fantastic journey with you and for co-producing six wonderful kids and 16 grandchildren. Happy 60th Anniversary.
We’ll reminisce again 60 years from now—“somewhere in time.”
Read More
