Bessie Badilla’s husband passes away in the US

I got this most unwelcome news when I woke up and turned on my cell phone around noontime yesterday to check my messages. The first message that came was from Sony Jalandoni, Bessie Badilla’s former classmate at St. Scholastica’s College. Sony wanted to inform me that Bessie’s husband, Vicente "Bambi" del Castillo, had passed away in the US.

I remember rubbing my eyes twice to see if I read the message right. Yes, I read it correctly. Bambi was gone. How could this have happened? Bambi’s young. 55, 56 – he couldn’t be older than that. And what about Bessie? How is Bessie? How are the kids? Those were the questions that came rushing to my mind.

Immediately, I called the Badilla home in Better Living in Parañaque, but none of the siblings was there, so I tried contacting Bessie’s brother, Bobby, at his office and he confirmed the fact that Bambi had really died. In fact, it was to him that Bessie broke the sad news.

In between sobs, Bessie managed to tell Bobby what happened. Since yesterday was Memorial Day in America, everyone had a long weekend there. The two older kids – both in college at the prestigious Holy Cross in Massachusetts – had, in fact, gone home to spend the weekend at the family residence in Stamford, Connecticut. Even Bambi – who usually travels – had welcomed that break to be with his family.

Sunday after lunch, Bambi told everyone at around 1:30 p.m. that he was going to sleep and gave instructions not to wake him up – not even for dinner. Bobby and I presume that Bambi must have slept on the couch in the living room because by 11:30 p.m. Bessie tried to wake him up so he could resume his sleep in the comfort of their bed in their room upstairs. But Bambi didn’t wake up anymore.

Bessie then called the police and it was only that time that it was found out that Bambi had been dead for several hours. As I write this, they still don’t know the cause of his death. The police are still supposed to be there and I continue to worry for Bessie and the kids: Isabel (Bambi’s daughter by Hilda Koronel), 24; Blanca, 19 and Ines, 11.

In a later conversation I had with Bessie’s sister, Bing Magsanoc, wife of basketball star Ronnie, I found out that Bessie has been trying to be strong for the kids. It was also comforting to know that their friends had all rushed there and are now keeping Bessie company (oh, she’s so well-loved there in Connecticut). There are no funeral plans yet, however, at the moment. (Bambi’s parents are both in Canada, but there is a sister – Pilar – who lives here in Manila).

Bessie and family were actually scheduled to fly to Manila this June for their annual trip here (they love the Philippines so much) and I was looking forward to another reunion with them. I’m not sure, however, if Bambi was also flying home with them, but I did spend time with him last November when they all came over to attend the wedding of Bessie’s sister Maritess.

That was a happy reunion for everyone and I recall that Bambi looked quite okay. Actually, there were occasions when he looked stressed out and that wasn’t surprising at all because of the nature of his work – trading. The only Filipino I know who is the president of an American company, there were a lot of pressures in his work and that required him to travel constantly. Bessie really worried a lot about him, but there was nothing much she could do but play supportive wife to Bambi and she did this by being a loving partner, keeping a neat home for him and helping raise their kids well.

I saw all that during my visits to Connecticut because I always saw to it that I would stay at their home.

In the beginning, I have to admit that I didn’t feel relaxed being around Bambi, but in time I got to know him better and I discovered that he was a wonderful person. We got so comfortable with each other to the point that he (and Bessie) would entertain me in his sleepwear when I would drop by their suite at the Manila Peninsula Hotel during their visits to Manila. And now I can’t believe that he’s gone.

An alumnus of De La Salle University, Bambi has a lot of friends here in Manila and I request them – if possible, all of you our dear readers – to please pray for the repose of his soul. And I also ask you to pray for Bessie and the children so that they may be strong in this moment of their grief.