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| 1965 | 2018 |
| Manuel
"Manny" Melliza (65) 53-65 DOD: 16 June 2021 (Eulogy) |
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Yo-Hi
Sisters and Brothers,
Bless
his heart. We have lost a truly wonderful friend. To me, Manny was
totally 'Mr. Yo-Hi'. I don't know of any other person who was in the
Yokohama school system from grade one until his senior year. There might
be others with that distinction, I don't know. But I do know that Manny
was a true Red Devil grad and consistent Yo-Hi school ambassador the
rest of his life. He was a devout 'brother classmate' to all of us who
walked those halls "in the shadow of Mt. Fuji".
I
first met Manny in 1959 in those tin buildings clustered at the backside of the
high school. We were dorky 7th graders together, always trying to be cool,
but not old enough yet to join the teen club. I remember riding with Manny
on the activity buses to sporting events and meeting at the NEX cafeteria to sip
cherry cokes from the soda fountain. I remember Manny leap-frogging from
seat to seat hoping to 'make out' with the girls on the bus, on one of those
long rides to a rival school. Many years later over beers at a Yo-Hi
reunion, we laughed about it. Manny said didn't remember that, but I
assured him that I had watched it happen, stuck like glue to my shy seat at the
back of the bus. I envied his suave, junior high gumption!
The
next year of school Manny was in Mr. Ikeda's home room class. I was in Ms.
La Belle's class. We suffered through endless sentence diagramming in
English classes and began to get our athletic legs under us. Unfortunately
my family went back to the United States mid-way through that second junior high
year.
We
met again when my family returned to Yokohama in 1963. Manny had matured
and was by then among the most popular kids at the school, yet he was always
humble and befriended everyone. In our junior and senior years Manny starred
on the varsity basketball team always playing scrappy defense and modestly
contributing to the offense. Manny always kept a positive attitude despite
the basketball team's dismal Kanto Plains League record. His stellar
sportsmanship was a model for the entire team.
After
graduation Manny and I rode the same USNS ship from Yokohama to San Francisco.
I forget which one. When we disembarked, we parted company and lost touch
for the next 29 years. Then we reunited at a Yo-Hi reunion in 1994.
His warm handshake and friendly smile initiated a lengthy catchup conversation.
At a Sunday morning breakfast after the Las Vegas reunion in 1998, we enjoyed
our bacon and eggs with the Geyers, Gogolins and Glenda 'Waskow' McClendon
(1965ers) in the hotel restaurant. We reminisced and forged plans for a
reunion in 2000. It seemed no one there wanted the moment to end.
Manny and I co-chaired the Park City, UT event. We intentionally
gave special recruiting attention to the classes of 1964 through 1966. The
reunion turned out to be a tremendous success with attendance from dozens of
alums from those 'targeted' year groups. I know that Manny was
significantly involved in at least two other reunions. He chaired our 50th
reunion at Pleasanton, CA in 2015, another great time. Manny and I (also
the Geyers and Gogolins) have remained very close ever since Park City.
There
are not many men in this world as genuine and caring as Manny Melliza.
When he made personal connections - his friendships were close, sincere and
enduring. He reached deep into a friend's soul to nurture those
relationships. He was a Vietnam veteran, a scholar, a computer nerd, a
professor of internet technology, a photographer and US national parks
enthusiast. I've probably missed a few other of his special life
accomplishments. He put all his heart into all those occupations and
skills. I recently met a young man who Manny taught and mentored at the
University of California - Davis who told me that Manny was the most significant
person in his life. They remained in continuous contact in the Sacramento
area. The young man said he owed his own remarkable success in the
business world to Manny's guidance and influence.
Manny
bravely battled that evil pancreatic cancer the past couple years. He
maintained a hopeful and positive attitude throughout those debilitating months
of chemo and radiation treatments. It was very tough on him but his strong
spirit prevailed to the end. I got a text message from him about a month
ago, after all those treatments were over. The cancer was not gone, but it
had not spread in his body. A good reason to remain positive. Manny
was optimistic and making plans for more photo-travel and wanted to come to the
Northwest and have me teach him to fly fish. Sadly a couple weeks later he
suffered this most recent downturn.
I
was fortunate to be able to travel to Sacramento on Monday, May 31 to visit
Manny in the hospital. He was just a wisp of his former self. His
body was weak but not his spirit. He was alert and we reminisced and
talked about our Yo-Hi friends. The first evening there I sat with Paul
Henning on the other side of Manny's hospital bed. Paul and I, we had been
neighbors in Bayview in 1963 - 64, caught up and swapped Yo-Hi and Marine Corps
stories, while Manny dozed between us. Paul held Manny's hand the entire
time as we stretched the visiting hours past 10:00 pm.
I
sat with Manny again the next day. We chatted while hospital staff made
frequent visits to reposition him, bring lunch, give medications and check on
Manny. I could tell Manny was one of their favorites on the ward. He
was receiving top-notch medical care and also special loving attention from
Dianne Rose and his niece and nephew. That night I said my goodbyes to
Manny with a heavy heart. I knew my good friend's days were numbered.
Yet he courageously held on for more time with his family and friends. I am
aware that Dianna Geyer made several visits in Manny's last days. Thank
you Dianna for keeping us informed.
I
am a better man for having known Manny Melliza. His calm confidence,
up-beat and friendly attitude and warm, sincere demeanor always inspired me.
I looked back at my email files this morning to note dozens and dozens of emails
from Manny keeping touch; letting me know about other Yo-Hi'ers; informing and
encouraging me to reach out when Bill Geyer was struggling with cancer; and
supporting me through some tough deployments to the Middle East or
elsewhere in the world. I couldn't have had a better friend.
Rest
in peace, Manny. We love and miss you.
I
want to share a quote from the novel Ordinary Grace by William
Kent Krueger, “The dead are never far from us. They’re in our
hearts and in our minds and in the end all that separates them from us is a
single breath, one final puff of air.” Manny, we'll take up that
fly fishing sometime in a far better place.
I
want to add my sincerest condolences to Dianne Rose, nephew Michael Melliza and
niece Mary Melliza, and to the entire Melliza family at this time of great
sadness. God bless you all.