A TRIBUTE TO DR. JAIME INAWAT

We, the Class 1966 of Araullo High School express our deepest condolences to Becky, Rodney, RJ, and Ryan and the entire Inawat family.

Dr. Jaime Inawat, “Jimmy” to all of us his high school classmates, will be sorely missed. We will remember Jimmy as the little guy with the biggest heart. He was very compassionate and always willing to help out a friend in need and expected very little return. Jimmy often loved to crack jokes and his laughs were infectious. We enjoyed listening to his humorous stories about high school life. He told us that he used to walk to school and back because there was not enough money for transportation. But it was during these long walks that he had so much fun with his walking buddies. He said that they would pass by restaurants along the way and sniff the aroma of food coming from the kitchen. Just the smell of the delicious food was enough to satisfy their hunger. Jimmy might have had a hunble beginning but we can only admire how he turned these struggles to what he had become. A few of us visited Jimmy and his family during the Thanksgiving holidays in 2007. Though he was already sick then, we still managed to have a great time with him. We were up late one evening and were laughing so hard in reminiscing our carefree high schoo days that we might have sent him to the hospital the next morning.

I was during this visit with Jimmy that he suggested that we go on an Alaskan cruise for our next high school reunion. We were looking forward to this. We were on standby and ready to go as soon as Jimmy has regained his strength and able to travel. We might still go ahead with the plan but our future reunions will never be the same again without Jimmy.

IToday is indeed a very sad but nevertheless a happy event for us. Very sad because we are committing the mortal remains of our beloved classmate, Jimmy, who has left us. On the other hand, we are happy because we know his soul has gone to meet our Lord and creator in the place of never ending peace. We might say Jimmy was too young to die. But we say he has long earned his place in heaven. Death is not a tragedy to him, but the beginning of a life everlasting. That is how we shall remember Jimmy in the days to come. And that is how we shall be consoled in our grief.

Finally, we ask you to join us in a prayer for Jimmy. Lord, bless Jimmy and enfold him in your loving arms. Let thesun shine upon his face as he stands before You. May the soil that will cover him be light and may the flowers on his grave be forever fresh.

Goodbye Jimmy. You will always be in our hearts.

Your friends from Araullo High School Class of 1966.
:icyap
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I remember going to Jimmy's house in Pandacan where we would hang around. That was high-school days. In the mid 70's I saw Jimmy often at the UST hospital where I was assigned working as a "med rep." I asked Jim's advice... the lady interns were interesting and attractive. Well, something good resulted from his advice. I recalled those days with Jim when his family attended our Christmas party here in 1996 by the poolside. We laughed about the matter. Seriously, since the news of Jim's demise I have anticipated your messages. I know that I have to do my share in this time of grief, but on top of it all, let's keep Jimmy's jolly memories alive, afterall, laughter is the best medicine. /Danny Rodriguez
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Jimmy visited us in Toronto several times outside of our reunions for other reasons - side trip from Montreal, visiting relatives in Toronto (one of our friends is Jimmy's cousin and another one is his neighbor in Pandacan), and simply wanted to spend time with us for a few days in Toronto.

Jimmy was one of my buddy friends since our 2nd year in Araullo. I've seen him occasionally during our college years in UST where I studied architecture. I have not seen him since 1970 after my college years. In 1993, I saw Jimmy again after several years at our first scheduled reunion in Maryland and all the following reunions.

Three weeks after our July 1998 reunion in San Francisco, California, I went back to St. Louis to design Jimmy's medical center in Wentzville, forty minutes drive from his place. I spent a few days with his family while we are discussing the plans and layout of the healthcare center. The medical center came out well.

Our groups in Toronto have fond memories of Jimmy, Becky and their children. We will surely miss him.
/Edd Manapul
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I regret that I didn't know much about Jimmy in high school - I do remember him as one of the not so tall guys in school and that was as far as I remember then.

My curiosity to get to know him came about 40 years later as I got reunited with my high school friends. I heard a lot of good stories about him and sensed a lot of respect for him from the group especially from my good friend Bert. Jimmy has been sick for years at that time but was really facing his challenges head-on and was very pro-active in finding a cure/treatment for his condition.  

In 2007, when we found out that he was really missing out on the reunions because of his condition, a group of us decided to bring the reunion to him - as a surprise. I think that was one of the best decisions we made - I got my second chance to get to know him and met his family and finally understood why a lot of people just connected with him. He was full of
life and loved to crack jokes and reminisce the good old days. We were having so much fun one night with Jimmy being the life of the party (you would forget that he was sick) that the next morning, we found out that he was rushed to the hospital just a few hours after we left his house. Even at the hospital, Jimmy would not stop talking and cracking jokes that a nurse had to remind us to keep it down because there were other patients. What amazes me too is that when he found out our dear friend Glo had some challenges of her own, he wanted to help - he spent countless hours calling us asking for updates on Glo. The doctor and friend in him was on call, I guess. I was told he was always so selfless like that. He had touched a lot of lives and have helped a lot of people throughout his life.

2009 was supposed to be our next NorthAm reunion and a few of us were already talking about it - we were waiting on Jimmy to let us know that the Alaskan Cruise he proposed was on - that he was well enough to get the go signal from his doctor. The news of his passing is still a shock - but in a way, a little relief that he is no longer in pain.

Jimmy's passing is certainly a loss here on earth but a happy gain in heaven. Thank you Jimmy for giving me that second chance to get to know you. I will miss you dearly as I know everyone else will too. /Sylvia Casanova Gonzales