UP MED 1971: LOUIS BEJEC MEMORIAL

August 10, 2019
St. Paul Catholic Church
Valparaiso, Indiana

All articles and photos in this blog are derived from Viber, contributed by UP Medicine 1971 classmates and their spouses.

by Grace Eusebio-Torres

The memorial for Louie was so well attended. Jun M gave a touching personal account of his friendship with Louie and how kind Louie was. Bong Yogore gave the image of how the four best friends, Noni Fernandez, Art Flores, Jun Medina, Louie Bejec hang out together and painted the town red as they were the pretty boys with the cars. They sang the Mu Sigma Phi frat song and presented Cathy with a Mu plaque. He was a good neighbour as described by his neighbour, an endocrinologist. Of course he was described as an accomplished ophthalmologist loved by his patients, a doting father so protective of his kids, worrying about them, Although an avid golfer, skier, etc. he couldn’t swim but resourceful how to get around so he didn’t have to comply with the UP requirement regarding swimming. There were so much more said about Louie. I thank Ging for all the efforts she contributed to this memorial, even picking me up in the airport, and providing accommodation for me.

MAGNIFICENT 7

PLAQUE PRESENTED TO CATHY BY MU SIGMA PHI FRATERNITY

WREATH GIVEN BY JOHNNY AND GRACE FONG

Tribute to Louie
by Artemio Medina, Jr.

I am fortunate and deeply grateful to have been considered a very close friend by Louie. I will share with you my thoughts, not about his personal and professional achievements, since we all are aware of his impressive accomplishments during his borrowed life. It is, however, important to be reminded that Louie and Cathy showered their lives with three lovable children, Kathleen, Carlo and Vanessa. I will reﬂect on how good a friend and a person Louie was.

Our friendship went a long way, from 1962, when we ﬁrst met and embarked on our journey towards a medical career. I remember all the happy and adventurous things we did through all those years. I remember when we would spend time together with other friends at his home in Quezon City, studying, exchanging jokes, singing, playing the guitar and meeting with his parents and sisters, Cherry and Ching.

Louie was a true, compassionate and understanding friend. We would talk over the phone, often times when I needed advice personally and medically for myself and my family. I could not forget the words that he often would tell me. He would say “ I understand”. Yes, he would say “ I understand”. He had a subtle way of understanding and somehow discreetly putting himself in the situation I was in, to give me the righteous, valuable and reassuring friendly advice. Louie was that kind of a friend who would go out of his way helping me in a very unselﬁsh manner.

On several occasions when we visited him, Louie and Cathy without any hesitation would accommodate us in their lovely home and made our visits very memorable.

Lastly, I would mention with great pride that Louie played a meaningful role in my marriage to my wife, Fe. Of course, not on a capacity of being a minister, although he could have been one had he wanted to, but on a level of being a true and sincere friend, giving advice, guidance and help all those times. To mention with pride as well, Louie was the godfather of my son.

We will all miss Louie. We will all say goodbye with sadness. However, beyond all these, we can joyfully say that he earned his place in heaven through all the good things he did during his lifetime.

Timeline of classmates' get-together with Louie during his illness.