My Tribute to Nguu

I met Nguu for the first time when I visited my high school classmate Elvie (Nguu’s wife) in Rome in 2000. Elvie asked me to join them for dinner at their home. I brought along a friend who was travelling with me on a “Jubilee Tour”. The food was delicious and I was truly impressed when told that Nguu had done the cooking that night!

Wow, I thought, here was a man who held such an important post (at FAO) and still found time to cook for his family and his wife’s guests.

Years later, when my daughter and I found ourselves in Rome again, Nguu and Elvie took us for meals at the FAO cafeteria and we enjoyed the company of this lovely and generous couple again.

After Nguu’s retirement from FAO and they’d settled back in Manila, I and other friends often enjoyed the hospitality and generosity of Nguu and Elvie. After enjoying a sumptuous lunch at their home, we usually left with plant cuttings given to us by Nguu!

On many occasions, when I fetched Elvie from her house to go to some class reunions, Nguu unfailingly escorted her right up to the gate, making sure she got in my car safely before saying goodbye. Nguu was really such a caring husband and such a gentleman, I often thought with envy.

I and our other friends will surely miss his company, his excellent advice about plants and his generosity.

Rest in peace, Nguu.