
FANHS Monterey Bay Area is very sad to announce the loss of two men who were not only our friends, but also leaders and past presidents of our local chapter of FANHS: Jess Tabasa and Richard Villegas. Both were struck with cancer, and both left us within weeks of each other. Our condolences and sympathy go out to their family members.
Richard Villegas was our most recent president of FANHS Monterey Bay Area. He was a strong advocate for Filipino American history and for FANHS. Richard came up with the idea for the current three-flowers logo for Asian Cultural Experience (ACE), where he was a board member. He had a special interest in the First and Second Filipino Infantry regiments, stationed at Fort Ord and San Luis Obispo, and made many historical contributions to ACE and FANHS historical programs.
Jess Tabasa was also a past president of FANHS Monterey Bay Area. He taught at E.A. Hall Jr. High School in Watsonville for four decades, and was a long-time member of the Watsonville Filipino Community Center. As an historian of Filipino American history and culture, he contributed his knowledge about Filipinos in the Pajaro and Salinas Valleys to many exhibits and programs in both Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Like Richard, he was also a board member of ACE.
We will miss them both. Let’s think about ways that we can move forward at FANHS while honoring those we’ve lost during the last several years.