A Legacy of Justice, Music, and Love

A Legacy of Justice, Music, and Love

In Loving Memory of Leonides Fulgueras Tungohan, Dec. 7, 1951-June 30, 2024

By Leny Rose Simbre

Leonides Fulgueras Tungohan passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on June 30, 2024 at the age of 73 years. Born on December 7, 1951, in  Tanay, Rizal, in the Philippines, to Leon Ka Tungohan and Teresa Fulgueras Tungohan, Leo – or “Boyet” – loved music. He and his two older brothers, Ding and Lito, regularly sang songs by the Reycard brothers and, of course, the Beatles. Boyet was an excellent student, graduating as valedictorian in his elementary school graduation, a salutatorian in his high school, cum laude at the University of the Philippines where he finished with a bachelor’s in political science and passing the Philippine bar with flying colors upon graduating at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Foregoing pursuing graduate studies in Political Science at Harvard University, where he received a scholarship offer, Boyet instead decided to forge a career in law in the Philippines.  He first worked as an associate at the Siguion-Reyna Law Firm in Makati, Philippines, after which he became legal counsel for San Miguel Corporation. In San Miguel, Boyet’s career flourished. In 1995, he was promoted to be the head international legal counsel for San Miguel Corporation’s operations in Hong Kong and in China. With his wife, Arlene, and his children, Ethel and Johann, they relocated to Hong Kong. Much of his time was spent helping establish San Miguel’s expansion into China.  In 1999, Boyet retired from San Miguel and immigrated to Canada. In 2005, he was called to the British Columbia Bar, and spent the next decades building his legal practice in Canada. He was a staunch anti-Marcos activist. One of his last acts as a lawyer was filing a legal submission challenging the validity of dynastic rule in the Philippines, which his UP College of Law class of 1976 classmates will be filing on his behalf.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Boyet was an avid musician, philosopher, poet, and writer. He enjoyed reading books, particularly the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Saul Bellows, Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, and many others. He had the prodigious ability to play music by ear, and spent many hours playing his guitar and singing songs, most often from the Beatles. Most of all, Boyet was a family man. He had fun traveling with his family to far-flung places like China, England, and Italy, but also enjoyed quiet moments, watching Netflix Korean dramas with his wife, Arlene, playing and singing with his grandchildren, Winifred and Georgina, and attending his grandchildren’s many activities, including kindergarten graduations, dance and piano recitals.

He is survived by his wife, Arlene, his daughter, Ethel, his son, Johann, his grandchildren, Winifred and Georgina, his son-in-law, Wayne, and his sister, Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be given in his name to organizations that widen access to justice and to legal aid, including to Parkdale Legal Community Services and to Pro-Bono Ontario.

The following paragraphs  are an excerpt from Dr. Ethel Tungohan’s eulogy at the Celebration of Life for her father, Leonides Tungohan, on July 6, 2024, at York Cemetery and Funeral Centre in Toronto (LRS)

“What I want all of us to remember about Papa, though, was how his family was his priority. Although of course, we had rocky moments – papa, as many of you know, had a volcanic temper – these were balanced out by good times in our various households: from Tanay and Paco in the Philippines, to McDonnell Road in Hong Kong, to Cook Road and Magellan Court in Vancouver and now, to Avondale Avenue in North york. I have fond memories of our family trips abroad to places like Beijing and Mexico City, and also trips closer to home, such as quiet and chill moments at Muskoka lakeside cottages.

But even more than our travels,  most of my dearest memories include just time spent hanging out, watching movies, and gossiping. Despite his oftentimes stern exterior, my dad loved gossip. He could spend hours discussing the multiple actors involved in really good gossip. Sometimes, the four of us would just…read, together, in the same room, in silence. All four of us loved reading. The four of us genuinely liked each other’s company.

It is only now that I truly realize what a gift his presence in our lives was: he truly loved me, my brother, and most especially, my mom.  He always had our backs. Jo and I always knew that no matter what, papa was always going to be there for us. I know what love is because of papa.

The true love of his life, of course, was my mother Arlene. Papa told me once that mama is the first person he thinks about when he wakes up. It is clear to me that mama was also the very last person in his mind right before he passed. At 4 am on Sunday, June 30, Mama heard Papa call her name. This was the time we all think he transitioned to the after-life.

To Mama, Papa loved you. You were his world. And he knew that you loved him.

In this email, dated April 13, 2006, Papa said this about you:

“I am always thankful to your Lolo Turong for bringing Arlene to this world; Arlene will always be my hidden wealth and with the two children I have, I am better off than Bill Gates.”

“Papa, all of us are richer for having known you. Goodbye and thank you, to Leonides Fulgueras Tungohan, for sharing with us your goodness, your honesty, and your heart. I love you.”

“When I find myself in times of trouble,

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness,

she is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree

There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted,

there is still a chance that they will see

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

There will be an answer, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be, be

And when the night is cloudy

there is still a light that shines on me

Shinin’ until tomorrow, let it be

I wake up to the sound of music,

Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be