If Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez were alive, he would have shed tears of joy at the shower of praises accorded him Wednesday night at the Heritage Park Chapel where his friends and colleagues recalled happy memories about him in a eulogy after a Mass said by Fr. Larry Faraon.
The Heritage Park gate was closed to the public at 1 o’clock that afternoon to give Daboy’s family — wife Lorna Tolentino and sons Ralphe and Renz, and Mark Anthony (his son with Alma Moreno) — and close friends had a chance to get together for the last time on the eve of his burial yesterday, also at the Heritage Park.
Only 200 were expected at the eulogy but more than double that number showed up, most of them dressed in white.
Among those who spoke was a tear-drenched Sharon Cuneta who said that she cut short her promo trip (for her starrer Caregiver) to Europe to be with her “best friend” at least for a few moments.
The affair, which was light and easy (exactly how Daboy would have wanted it to be — no tears, please!), started at 9:20 p.m. and lasted way past midnight.
Daboy’s bosom buddies, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, and Phillip Salvador, sang a trio of Doon Lang, with the lyrics changed to suit their lasting friendship.
Lorna capped the night by thanking everybody for their support and sympathy. — RICKY LO