Flores, 74

MANILA, Philippines - Rogelio Borja Flores, veteran sports scribe, died Sept. 8 in Martinez, California due to extensive lung failure at the age of 74. His remains will be cremated also in California and a final tribute will be slated later.

He is survived by wife Rosalina, children Adrian, Arianne, Rogelio Jr., Phaedra and Happy, and grandchildren Gerald Ethan, Trisha, Gebee, Miggy, Joy and Cyrus.

Flores, “Ka Roging” to family and friends, last worked as golf sportswriter and columnist of Manila Standard-Today. Before that, he had stints in the Evening News, Philippine Sun, The Tribune, Philippine Post and Manila Times.

It was in the Times Journal in the late 1970s and 1980s when his career bloomed as he covered big-time events like the Thrilla in Manila (1975) at the Araneta Coliseum, World Chess Championships (1977) in Baguio City and World Amateur Golf (1977) at Wack Wack.

Flores took up Philosophy and Letters at the University of Santo Tomas but never got to finish his course. He turned to sportswriting soon after through the prodding of the late Tony Siddayao.