Rene Rico Navat

Born in San Felipe, Zambales, Philippines, Rene passed away in the late afternoon of Saturday, the 4th of January, with his loving family by his side. He was 92 years old.

Rene attended Zambales Central Institute for high school, and joined the Coast Guard when he was 25 years old. He achieved an E-6 rank with the title of Petty Officer First Class,completing the training as a Chief Subsistence Specialist from the Coast Guard Institute. During his time of service, he was aboard the USCG Taney W-37 and served in the Vietnam War. Rene had dreams of being a doctor when he was young but he knew that his family could not afford to send all the siblings to college. He enjoyed his time of service and retired honorably on July 31, 1977 after 20 plus years of faithful dedication to the Coast Guard. 

In the Coast Guard, Rene was a chef, making sure the soldiers aboard the ship were fed and satisfied. He told us a story of when his Commander asked why he was sad, and Rene told him that he needed to cook rice and be on the menu as so many of his comrades were Filipino. At home, Rene was a great chef. He was always cooking home made meals and had this special chili that we loved. He would invite neighbors to come and eat anytime. If it was our birthday, Rene was surely baking you a cake and cooking up a storm for the birthday party.

Rene loved his music, he had multiple records, eight tracks, and cassettes, and would often play his music on the weekends as he worked on his cars in the garage. Rene also played the piano beautifully. Without any formal instruction, Rene played “widow” on the piano, and his favorite song to play was “Dahil Sa Iyo” (a Filipino love song). Rene was an avid swimmer as an adult and often took his children with him to Treasure Island pool, where he swam laps and they took lessons. He loved playing pool and loved bowling, where he and his wife would bowl together quite often, early on in their relationship.

Rene was loved by his family and many close friends. He was quiet, and when he spoke it was with purpose. He was known have a sharp tongue at times especially if he did not agree, but he also loved to share stories of his experiences. He often entertained family and friends, and held mahjong parties at the house.
Rene is survived by his wife, Freda, daughter, Marsha, son, Mario, niece, Melissa, sister,Eding, and grandchildren, Alexis, Mariah, Alaynah, and Mason.

We love you so much and will miss you dearly, Rene. May you find eternal peace in the loving hands of our Almighty God.