Rodel combined the good looks of a boy next door, the charm of a well mannered gentleman, the voice of a consummate singer, and the artistic gift of painting what took his fancy with the stroke of a gifted painter. It is amazing how he grew from a simple, lanky boy to a sophisticated and consummate performer that enthralled, first a national audience, and then an international one. The range of his vocal tonality easily defied category---from the haunting, almost crying, grunting semi- baritone to the most defying tenor –like touches, coupled with a most electrifying ability to hold a note for long stretches of sustained delivery. But outside of the stage, what I find most touching is the evident warmth of relationships he had with his family and likewise, the dedication his siblings had for him and his memory. His is a life of marked extremes: short but extraordinary success, extraordinary good looks, a superbly good voice, and a devastatingly challenging sickness, which he faced with admirable courage and resignation. I can’t help but think that when he sang “Patawad Ama” he was really conversing in his own heart with the Eternal Father he had held so long at bay and to whom he was then returning. In so doing, he almost prefigured each one of us who in our journey back to the same Father, we hold that same pull back and forth attitude marked by alternating moments of grace and human failure. But in the end, what shines forth most in Rodel’s life is his steadfast faith in the goodness of that Father to whom he eventually surrendered his all. Your memory stays Rodel!

i miss you tito rodel.