Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. is gone; but his great deeds are imperishable!

Media

Part of The Cabletow

Title
Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. is gone; but his great deeds are imperishable!
Language
English
Year
1964
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Abstract
Eulogy delivered by Illustrious Manuel M. Crudo, 33°, P.M., Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4 F & A. M., and Secretary, Board for General Purposes of the M. W. Grand Lodge of the Philippines, at the Masonic Funeral Services in honor of the memory of llustrious Gumersindo Garcia, Sr., 33° S.G.I.G., held under the auspices at the Supreme Council, 33° A. & A. S. R. of the Philippines, at the Central Church, Teodoro M. Kalaw Street, Manila, Philippines, on Friday, April 10, 1964.
Fulltext
Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. Is Gone; But His Great Deeds Are Imperishable! (Eulogy Delivered by Illustrious MANUEL M. CRUDO. 33°, P.M., Begumbayan Lodge No. 4 F & A. M., and Secretary, Board for General Purposes of the M. W. Grand Lodge of the Philippines, at the Masonic Funeral Services in Honor of the Memory of llustrious GUMERSINDO GARCIA, SR., 33° S.G.I.G., Held Under the Auspices at the Supreme Council, 33° A. & A. S. R. of the Philippines, at the Central Church, Teodoro M. Kalaw Street, Manila, Philippines, on Friday, April 10, 1964) Wise Master, Friends in Sorrow, and Brothers All: There are moments in a man's life when he is bereft of adequate words to express his deep emotions. That moment came to me yesterday morning when my daughter, Grace came to me and said: "Daddy, your good friend and brother, Dad Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. is dead!" I was shocked! My heart was ladened with grief. My tongue was tied so tight that I could not speak. On behalf of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4, F. & A.M., and on my own, permit me to extend to you, Mrs. Concepcion Yulo de Garcia and your loving children, Nonoy, Erning, Bobby, Rony and Eddie and the rest of the members of your bereaved family our sincere, loving sympathy in this hour of your sorrow. We wish to let you know that your loss is equally ours, for we love Dr. Gumersindo Garcia Sr. not only as a brother but also as a friend, family physician, fearless writer and an honest, courageous and dedicated national leader! For Illustrious Gumersindo Garcia Sr. was a leader tried and true. First, he had learned to subdue his passions and to master himself. His Honor, Judge Jesus Y. Perez was right when he said during our vigil here last night that throughout those many years he had known and been associated with his good brothenin-law, he had never seen Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. give way to anger even once. His outlpok on life, his sterling character, his sincerely and humility, and his self-sacrificing adherence to the sacred principles of Democracy had qualified him to have attained that true image of a worthy Master Mason — the living personification of that immortal poem "IF" written by a Master Mason, that immortal poet, Brother Rudyard Kipling, who said: “// you can l;ccp your head when all about you arc losing theirs and blaming it on you; "If l/aii can dream — and not make drcams your master; if you can think — and not make your thoughts your aim; "If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, Your is the Earth, and everything that’s in it, And what is more, you'll be a MAN, my son!" It was my privilege to have met Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. at the YMCA while I was a young, struggling student and he was Chairman of the Board June 1964 405 of Medical Examiners. We met as total strangers, but before we parted we became friends. I shall always treasure in loving remembrance the memory of that first meeting with that good man. His beneficent advice served as my good guiding rule in moments of temptations. I still remember those times when before he went up the gym to play volleyball he would leave with me at the swimming pool his three little boys: Nonoy, Erning and Bobby and say: "Please look after them and teach them to swim." He was a worthy father of his good children and an exemplary husband. And not­ withstanding the exalted position he had attained, he spoke gently and acted in humility, outward sign of true greatness. I saw him as one of the prominent members of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4, F. & A.M., after I had knocked at its portals and was brought from darkness to light. He exemplified in his daily life the beautiful tenets of of Freemasonry, namely, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. To him the most acceptable prayer which any person can offer up to God is to do his level best in his appointed field so that this world may become a better and a happier place to live in. I saw him at the meetings of the Luzon Bodies, A. & A. S. R.. I saw him last Friday when he presided at the meeting of the members of the Committee on Charity of the Supreme Council, 33°. He illustrated through­ out his life the splendid teachings of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, among which are FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY in order to attain that IMMORTALITY of the soul. Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. always HOPED for the best, because he believed that good would ultimately triumph over evil. He practiced CHARITY or LOVING KINDNESS. He helped the needy, aided the distressed, succored the poor and relieved the sick from their pain and suffering. And because as a Master Mason, his faith in God is all enduring, it gives him victory over the grave — a resurrection after death to a glorious life eternal! He has attained that IMMORTALITY of his soul in "the Celestial Lodge on High — that house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens." His creed in life was the Masonic creed — service to suffering Humanity, without count­ ing the cost and without expectation of any material reward. He believed that the "true reward is the satisfaction which one feels in the performance of his duty to the glory of God and the welfare of Humanity." Blessed is the man who like Illustrious Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. was "con­ secrated to God, in service to his fellowmen." He fought for the sacred cause of human freedom, because "Masons, labouring for the improvement of the world and the great cause of human progress," have always stood for the preservation of civil liberties, among which is the Freedom of Thought, without which, all other essential freedoms would become meaningless. "God has formed thy -nature, this to answer to the future. His law can never he abrogated, nor His justice eluded; and for­ ever and ever it will be true that ‘whatsoever a man soweth, that also he shall reap." In life, Illustrious Brother Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. sowed the seeds of Brotherly Love and Loving Kindness in the hearts of men; and now, in death, thousands of people from all walks of life honor him, respect him, and love Turn to pogo 416 The Cabletow GRAND MASTER'S (From page 399) insurance is costing me. Imagine getting P500.00 worth of protection for P6.00 per year. Every Mason has an obligation to his family. The cost of living is on the increase, but so is the cost of dying. Therefore, a fivo hundred pesos insurance policy will not even pay for the cost of an average funeral service. I am aware that our first circular on this insurance has created dis­ cussion and in some instances dissension. The record is clear that the cir­ cular only fulfilled the mandate of the Annual Communication. It is ap­ parent that the word compulsory is causing the problem. I can assure you that no charters will be withdrawn on this account this year. How ever, I would beg of you that you study the issue carefully with thd interest of your loved ones in mind. Insurance is not for the dead but for the benefit of the living. Those you love who will be burdened with the debt of maybe a doctor's bill and for certain a funeral director's bill and they need your consideration. Life without you will be difficult enough without having to worry about paying off debts incurred in your last illness and the cost of burial. Six pesos (P6.00) for five hundred pesos (P500.00) of protection is very reasonable insurance. This insurance will benefit no one else except your own family, unless you want to make some Masonic Charity a beneficiary. There is still another angle to be seriously considered. There are a number of our Masonic brethren who because of age or physical con­ dition are no longer insurable M a commercial insurance company. Within our fraternity we can help one another to provide some protection for all of our Masonic brotherhood. Therefore, we appeal to each one of the Lodges to set aside some time when this matter can be discussed fully taking all angles into con­ sideration. Let us remember that the motion was carried unanimously to carry out this insurance plan at our Grand Communication last April. (Sgd.) CHARLES MOSEBROOK Grand Master June 15, 1964, Manila A A A Dr. GUMERSINDO GARCIA Sr. . . . (From P.s. 406) him. We shall always hold in cherished remembrance the virtues and worth of this distinguished Moral and Spiritual Leader, this true Knight of the Order of Rizal, this Worthy Master Mason! The soft voice of our illustrious leader and beloved friend which we all loved to hear is now silent. The skilled hands of the famous and competent surgeon have laid down their working tools. For his work on earth is done, and he has gone to the land of the perfect rest. But though Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Sr. is gone, his great deeds are imperishable. 416 The Cabletow