In Remembrance of John

We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of our dear colleague and friend, John AB Pangelinan.

John served as the Fiscal Officer of Humanities Guåhan for more than fifteen years. Throughout his long tenure with our organization, he demonstrated excellence, passion, and the utmost integrity. His presence has been such an important part of our organization, and he enriched each of our lives in so many ways.

John was a true perfectionist who loved his numbers. He was meticulous to a fault and prided himself on excellence, leaving behind a record of fifteen successive clean independent annual audits of Humanities Guåhan’s finances and their management. He always believed that accounting was an art form.

He was a very kind and caring man who could also be quite stubborn. He enjoyed debating with us about politics and Guam’s history and culture. He loved action movies, Diet Pepsi, sharing meals with Maria at his favorite island restaurants, and reading and writing poetry. He cared deeply for our organization and always looked out for us, bringing us scones on Saturdays, making sure we were safe going home, and offering clear-sighted, thoughtful friendship.

We were heartbroken when John was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. Even after John became sick he continued to put his work first, and worried about Humanities Guåhan’s “books” while he was away for treatment in Los Angeles. He wanted to ensure that everything went smoothly in his absence and would often call from the USC hospital to make sure we were doing okay.

When John returned home in February 2020 after almost a year of treatment, he wanted to get right back to work. He would tell us that staying focused on his numbers and being with his colleagues made him think less about the serious health issues he faced. Even as we worried about him and his health, we were very happy to see his return.

It’s difficult to express how much John will be missed. We are forever indebted and grateful for John, and his legacy of commitment and care will live on at our organization.

We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Maria, granddaughter Kaydon and the rest of John’s family during this very difficult time.
Saina ma'åse, John, yan adios esta ki manali'e' hit talo’. May your spirit be free and full of joy!