Angelito Leyran Daquiz Obituary (1951

Angelito "Lito" Daquiz was born on January 1, 1951 in Manila, Philippines. The eldest son of eight children, he was raised in Alfonso in the province of Cavite. He excelled as a musician at a young age, spending much of the summers traveling with the community band, Banda Dieciseis or "Banda 16." Lito played a range of instruments including clarinet, saxophone, piano, and guitar, and he honed his natural talent through his commitment to diligent practice. As a young man, he even played guitar accompaniment for a friend who wanted to serenade a beautiful young woman. Fortunately for Lito, this young woman only had eyes for him and they eventually got married. On October 29, 1978, Lito married Eleanor "Ellen" Gonzales in a small ceremony in Silang, Cavite. Though he was employed in a mid-management position with the San Miguel Corporation, they made the courageous decision to walk away from the lives they had built to immigrate to the United States through Ellen's position as a US Navy service member in 1985. Lito and Ellen had six children--three of whom were born in Philippines and three others born in San Diego, CA. After spending their first 8 years stateside near Ellen's family, they made another tough decision to move the family to Ellen's next station site (Bremerton, WA) rather than spend 2-3 years apart. They made their home in Silverdale, WA in 1994 and raised their children there. Lito was very active in the community, serving as the Filipino-American Association President (among other roles), leading the Caviteno choir with Sonny Ferrer, and finally serving as Choir Director for Fil-Harmony, and singing/playing guitar for the Jackson Park Chapel Catholic services. He organized many fundraisers and community events to support the preservation of Filipino culture and music in Kitsap County. Lito constantly shared his love of music, community, and tennis with his beloved family members as well as the wider community. He is survived by his father, Danilo Daquiz, his brothers and sisters, Ronnie, Nenet, Emel, Neriza, Sylvia, Leyda, and Joseph, his loving wife, Ellen, and six children, Abigail, Abraham, Aaron, Aubrey, Angelito Jr. and Andrew, and his two grandsons, James and Edwin.