Dioscoro P. Mellomida

December 20, 1932 - November 16, 2020

Our dad put himself through school by working at a college in the Philippines. He worked the yards and maintenance for the institution. He had a green thumb and created a nice garden that provided a variety of vegetables for the campus and the community. He did side jobs such as tutoring and doing homework for his classmates. Our dad was intelligent, talented, resourceful and a go-getter so he never had a problem providing for himself. When our dad asked for our mom's hand in marriage in 1958, Mama and Papa did not approve as he had no wealth to show for, but thankfully our mom had faith and courage to marry our dad against her parent's wishes. In 1971 our aunt petitioned for our dad to go to California so he could work and provide for his family. He worked hard for a year but went back home to the Philippines because he missed his family. After a few days, he realized that if he stayed in the PI his family would not have a promising future so he went back to CA. For the next 3 years he worked 5 jobs, no restful sleep, just taking short naps in between jobs. Most of the time he would sleep in the car before the next job so he wouldn’t be late and never miss work. In 1975 he saved up enough money to show immigration that he could afford to send for us and be able to support us. The agent that processed my dad's petition told him he had never seen such dedication in a man and added, “I wish every immigrant showed such passion for the betterment of himself and his family!" In December 1975 after 3 years, all of us were finally reunited. A couple months later, our dad was able to buy a house for us. For many years that followed, our family experienced the life that our dad lived and the sacrifices he made. Every morning our mom woke us up very early so we could help our dad clean all the theaters in Fairfield, the Drive-In movie theater and a downtown office building. At daybreak we would get ready for school while our dad continued on to his next job. During the summer, we’d wake up early so we could cut/pick fruit to earn extra money. Our dad is survived by his wife Lourdes, children Ricky (Cindy), Julita, Disco, Rey (Sharon), Gene, nine grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Our dad was a Godly man and instilled in us to love God, attend church and read the Bible. He was a devoted husband and father and a true friend to others. He never complained about anything. He saw the best in everyone and gave of himself to God and to help anyone in need. WE LOVE YOU DAD!