Benjamin Esposo April 3, 1925-July 10, 2010 Resident of San Leandro A native of the Philippines and long time resident of Alameda. Ben met and married a widow with three young children in 1956. From 1957 to 1963 four more children joined the family. He joined the US Navy in 1945 in the Philippines and retired in 1964 from Alameda Naval Air Station. During his 19 years of service in the US Navy, he was on several different ships. Some of those ships included the USS Buckingham, the USS Hancock, the USS Lexington, the USS Whiteside, and the USS Hornet. Ben was very proud and passionate about his service in the US Navy. He went on to work at several different places including Alameda County at Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro, where he was the specialty chef and the head of the cafeteria. He retired in 1987. Ben was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother. He is survived by his brother, Sergio Esposo, and sister, Celsa Reyes. His three stepchildren, Candice Rutledge, Vickie Jones, and Rick Rutledge. His four children, Terri Marshall, Allen Esposo, Tanya Delagrange, and Ben Esposo, and their spouses. He has 25 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Ben was a true family man who loved having all the kids and their families at his house where he would cook endlessly and spend a lot of true quality time, especially with his grandchildren. Ben spent his retired years involved with the Filipino American Veterans' League. He also had many friends he met with 6 days a week for the past 18 years at the 'University of McDonalds' in Alameda. He loved life and he loved his grandkids and being around them always made him happy. He was a much loved man and will be greatly missed by his family and his many, many friends. Friends and Family are invited to visitation on Fri. July 16 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. and the Funeral Service on Sat., July 17 at 10:00 am at Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home, 32992 Mission Blvd, Hayward, CA. Interment to follow. Chapel of the Chimes
While very nice, of course that doesn't say nearly the whole story for me. Some of my earliest memories are of time with my mom's family in and visiting my grandparents' home in Alameda, CA. Grandpa never spoke the best English, or talked a lot at all, but he had a great quiet strength and love that I always felt. I learned things about him fairly recently that make him an even better man in my eyes.
The last time I saw him was in March of 2008, when we took a trip there. I really wanted him to at least meet Christopher. We had a nice visit and a couple of really good talks I will always treasure. I didn't know until I was older that most of our extended family called him Papa. To me he'll always be Grandpa Esposo. Or, as my Dad always says "Espozo" : ) I knew that last visit that I was probably seeing him for the last time, as well as the home I'd always known them to live in. The kitchen that he cooked for everyone in. He was always concerned that everyone be fed : ) The front room we used to watch movies in. The bathroom that always smelled like Dove soap. I love that house. I love my memories there, and I loved my grandparents both very much.
Grandpa had been having heart problems for some time. They thought that was what would kill him a few months ago. But he was a fighter and held on, deciding he wasn't ready. At the end he was very weak, had a fractured spine, pneumonia, and other ailments that came and went. He had been in hospice for a while before he passed away. He went fairly peacefully and by that time I was mostly relieved to know he was out of pain and gets to move on. He didn't believe the same things we do, but I know that he's in a better place and we'll get to see him again. He will be very missed by our family, and it's kind of empty to have both him and Grandma gone now. But such is the cycle of life.
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