Mr. Aguirre, Baltazar P , III
Biography
Our beloved Lasallian and chapter’s soccer team player Baltazar P. Aguirre ’77, a.k.a. “Jing”, aged 61, passed away peacefully on June 15th 2022.
Baltazar was an active Old Boy. He represented us to play in the North American La Salle Old Boys Soccer Tournament for many years. His dedication and determination always helped our team move towards victory.
Off the field, he was a kind and gentle person with true La Salle spirit. He had a special kind of calmness and friendliness that made people take an immediate liking to him. In addition to his work in the family business, he joined the Daly City Policy Station as a Police Assistant for 21 years of dedicated services. He was also a devout Catholic who served as a Sacristan for 10 years at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in San Francisco. He lived his faith in a humble and quiet way and served the community with zeal and faith.
He brought us so many great memories, and will always live in our hearts.
May he rest in peace in God’s embrace.
Obituary
Beloved son, brother and uncle, Baltazar Juan P. Aguirre III, passed away peacefully in Our Lord’s Grace at 1:13 am, Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
Baltazar was called Jing as a nickname by family members. He was named after his father, Baltazar, Jr. and his patron saint, St. John the Baptist. He was born to Baltazar Aguirre, Jr. and Carmen Aguirre, in Manila, Philippines, on June 24, 1960. He was educated by the La Salle Brothers, both in Hong Kong British Crown Colony and in the Philippines. He was a phenomenal athlete in school, being a gifted soccer player and track and field star that won him awards including his winning goal that gave La Salle High School Greenhills, the NCAA Championship over Ateneo High School.
He graduated from the University of the Philippines (Diliman Campus) with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the military after completing ROTC. He successfully completed the Army Ranger course earning him the coveted “Ranger” tab. He was a member of the University of the Philippines Vanguard Fraternity (U.P. Banaag, Class of 1981).
He emigrated to the United States in 1986 and worked at his brother’s family business in San Francisco. Baltazar joined the Daly City Police Department as a Police Assistant in 1998, retiring in 2019 after 21 years of dedicated service. As “PA5” (his radio call-sign), he was assigned to the Traffic Division, performing parking enforcement duties and concurrently served as the department’s Court Liaison Officer. He was one of the first Police Assistants to be assigned as Court Officer.
Baltazar’s role as a Court Officer provided him with a deeper appreciation of how the justice system works, from arrest to prosecution and judgement, and witnessed the hard work and dedication of Daly City’s detectives and patrol officers. He valued the relationships he developed over the years with the Department’s Investigation Division, Patrol, Property, Records, as well as the County’s District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, and the Superior Court Judges he worked with.
He had a keen interest in current events and history and was well versed particularly in foreign policies and international affairs, an interest he inherited from his late father. He was a car enthusiast and had the skill of identifying second-hand vehicles in pristine condition. He liked to relax by watching the English Premier League soccer games, documentaries, classic car shows and vintage television shows.
As a former school athlete, it was always a joyful experience for him to play in the La Salle Old Boys soccer tournament as part of their annual reunion. It was an opportunity for him to reconnect with former classmates, teammates and teachers from Hong Kong. He also enjoyed meeting up with his U.P. Vanguard fraternity brothers at their gatherings. His other interests were learning how to play the piano and taking up Italian lessons.
Baltazar was a devout Catholic who lived his faith in a humble and quiet way. He served as a Sacristan for ten (10) years at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in San Francisco. He had deep devotions to the Holy Eucharist, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Divine Mercy.
He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Daly City and Star of the Sea Catholic Church in San Francisco. He organized the annual Divine Mercy Sunday celebration at St. Bruno’s Church in San Bruno for over twenty (20) years. He volunteered every year for the 40 Days For Life by standing in prayerful vigil outside the Planned Parenthood at Baywood, San Mateo. He loved and defended the unborn.
He had a fraternal love for his Priest friends who supported him with their Masses and prayers, and with whom he shared a deep relationship with the Lord. He would also assist some pastors he knew, in facilitating with the Police Department for the orderly traffic flow when they held outdoor religious processions during parish festivals.
On June 12, 2022, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, he was received into the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers) as a member of the Dominican Laity of the Corpus Christi Chapter in Menlo Park, of which his sister Charo is also a member. He was generous with his time helping the Chapter with their events, driving them to retreats. He had a special bond with the Dominican nuns of Corpus Christi Menlo Park, helping them with their photography needs during special occasions at their Monastery.
He loved to travel and most of his travels were with his sisters, Magda and Charo. He was able to make Marian Pilgrimages to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France and Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
In 2009, on a trip to the Vatican with his two sisters, he personally met and spoke with Pope Benedict XVI during the General Audience.
In 2013, during a trip to Rome to attend Pope Benedict XVI’s final audience, Baltazar was interviewed by the Catholic News Agency which was published in the San Francisco Catholic.
In 2015 he organized a special family 3-country trip to Europe (France, Italy and England) touring seven cities highlighted by a visit to see the Shroud of Turin in public display, a trip to Normandy, France for the 71st anniversary of D-Day and, being a lifelong Manchester United Football Club supporter, watched the Legends match against Bayern Munich at their stadium at Old Trafford.
In 2016, he went to Spain with his sisters to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Dominican Order, visiting Madrid and Barcelona as well as St. Dominic’s birthplace in Caleruega.
In November 2017, he and his sisters made a pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.
In 2018, Baltazar had an opportunity to bond with his two brothers, Dennis and Ray by making a special trip to Scotland to watch The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. They also went to London to watch a Chelsea Football Club soccer match at Stamford Bridge.
Baltazar was a beloved brother to Maria Magdalena (Magda), Dennis, Maria Rosario (Charo) and Raymund (Ray) Aguirre. He was a loving uncle who was affectionately called “Tito Jing” by Kevin (wife Mary), Ryan and Christen Aguirre (children of Dennis) and Matthew Aguirre (son of Ray).
He will be deeply missed by many because of his kindness and compassion for others. He was a true gentleman and a man of integrity. He will always be remembered for his goodness, generosity, selflessness and joyful disposition.
Above all, his life centered on love for God and neighbor, manifested in his fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church, his service to the public and his undying devotion to his family. His reward awaits him now.
In Heaven!