Remembering my father-in-law, Justino Tejada Lacanilao

17 years ago today, God called my father-in-law home to heaven. Dad, Justino Tejada Lacanilao, had just turned 73 in October 1998, but, unknown to us, he was suffering from liver cancer. He had also suffered a bad fall during one of his walks up and down Colorado Blvd in Pasadena and one of his ribs had punctured one of his lungs. 

It was early Monday morning that we got a frantic call from Dan’s Mom about his Dad. Dad was sitting in his green rocker in obvious pain and had trouble breathing. we made the call to take him to St Luke’s Hospital which is just a few blocks away from our home on Berkeley Avenue. St Luke’s has since closed down, but it was the hospital that was directly across from his doctor’s offices, so we thought that would be the best place for him. In hindsight, if we had known he had something as serious as cancer, we would have taken him to Huntington Hospital on the other side of town because they were a newer and more up-to-date facility.

I had to fly up to Oakland that day for 2 days of meetings and almost canceled, but the family thought what Dad had was minor, so I decided to go ahead with my trip. During my second day in Oakland, however, I received a phone call from my brother that I should return to Pasadena ASAP. I think he knew that Dan’s Dad wasn’t going to make it too much longer, but he didn’t tell me that. He only said I should come home.

I was gratified to see so many members of the Southern CA Lacanilao family in the waiting room when I arrived at the hospital. I know Dad was happy to see them, too. He seemed in good spirits at that time. The kids, Dan, his Mom and I stayed in the hospital until visiting hours were over. We sang his favorite hymns, talked to him, prayed for him, told stories to make him smile. With a few exceptions, he kept his eyes closed and we could see that he was having trouble breathing. When we said our goodbyes, the nurse told us that they would keep a close eye on him and let us know if anything changes.

Around 2am, we received that dreaded phone call. The hospital told us to come immediately because Dad was really struggling to breathe. Their exact words were, “He doesn’t have much time left.” Dan and I decided not to tell the kids and went with his Mom to the hospital. It was sad to see Dad doing so poorly. A few minutes later, however, our 3 kids came in to the room. Ashley, who was still only driving with a permit, had driven them over to see their grandfather one last time. Looking back, I’m just thankful that she wasn’t stopped by the police!! Once again, we sang Dad’s favorite songs, especially “God is the Strength of my heart” which is taken from his favorite Bible verse. We prayed for him. Then, one by one, we said our good-byes. It was very painful for us to realize that we had to let him go, but we didn’t want him to suffer anymore. He didn’t really respond, but a few times, we heard him grunt so we knew that he heard us. We were there until he took his last breath.

It was my first experience watching someone die and it was definitely my children’s first personal encounter with death. But, we know that death is the final enemy that we will face here on earth. It is SO sad to lose someone whom you love so dearly. I think it was hardest on Dan who was dealing with personal issues at the time and on Justin who was very close to his grandfather and is named after him. There’s nothing quite so tragic as knowing that you will never see that loved one again here on earth! But, as believers, we know that we will see Dad again someday when God calls us home to Himself. We are comforted knowing that Dad is enjoying his heavenly rewards, rewards given for his 73 years of service to The One he loved more than life itself. Dad left us a great and lasting legacy which we will continue to maintain while we are still here on earth. His faith and dedication in God were evident every day of his life. His unconditional love for every member of his family will serve as a guide to us to live the same way. He was a wonderful man, a Godly man whom we will always remember with great love. We look forward to being reunited with him again someday in that land where there are no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering; only peace, joy and love forevermore with God, our heavenly Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

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I’m hoping the other members of my family will share their memories of Dad’s last 3 days here on earth, so we will have a more comprehensive and complete account to share with the 4th generation in our family—Dad’s 9 GREAT-grandkids!!