Uncle Pink I will always have special memories of Uncle Pink. From my earliest memories from childhood I thought Uncle Pink was special. For a young girl, to have an uncle called Pink, was fun and playful and every time I said his name to address him, it made me smile instinctively, visibly and sometimes internally. Through the years and as I got older, I always felt that delight when I said his name, “Uncle Pink.” In my entire life, I have never called Uncle Pink anything else, like Uncle Frank. It was a special name for a special person. As children growing up in UP Los Banos, we always looked forward to Uncle Pink’s visits to our home. They were not often so they were special occasions for me. He always had sweet treats for us and he told us many stories in that gentle, soft voice of his. He always had a smile on his face and was quick to laugh, a gentle, soft laugh, and I thought, he’s always happy. He was kind and he gave us his time and attention, so I decided he was going to be my favorite Uncle Pink. My favorite memory was seeing Uncle Pink getting married to Auntie May in our garden in Los Banos. It was an early morning wedding ceremony, there was still morning dew in the air, and together with my cousins the Francos, we were all frantic because we were up all night preparing the fruit salad and other food for the wedding breakfast. I remember the fruit salad because there was so much fruit to cut up. It was special that Uncle Pink had chosen to have his wedding ceremony in our garden. The ceremony took place outside of our terrace , beside a fishpond with goldfish, water lilies and water plants. Over the fishpond was a small bridge leading up to the open terrace and under the “aratilis” tree, stood Uncle Pink. Beside him were our pastor from the Church Among the Palms and the priest from the Catholic church in the university. We were all seated in the inner part of the terrace, where chairs were placed for the wedding guests together with the tables for the food. We watched as Auntie May, so serene in her wedding dress, walked across the small bridge to Uncle Pink and they exchanged their vows. It was simple and special. I have to admit that because it was so many years ago, I couldn’t remember the rest of the wedding and I’m sure there was a wedding song, probably sung by my Mom who was our family soloist. But I have kept the memory of a special wedding ceremony with plants, flowers and trees, and the sounds of birds in the early morning as a backdrop and Uncle Pink and Auntie May. I have fond memories of Uncle Pink, in different times of my life. For example, the times when Uncle Pink would visit my Auntie Sab and I was in college, living with my aunt and cousins in Project 4, Quezon City. They were always fun visits and fun memories, like the times when we would watch beauty contests like the Miss Universe or Miss Philippines on TV. We would all try and guess the finalists and the winner and Uncle Pink got it right every time. I guess he had an eye for beauty. Anyway, it all ended up with a lot of laughs all around. Some memories fade and details become more sketchy over the years but my memories of Uncle Pink will last forever. Uncle Pink was special not only because of his many accomplishments but because he was my favorite uncle who gave me many happy memories. He was also born on the 29th February 1928, a leap year. How special is that! Uncle Pink will truly be missed by all of us who loved him.
Your niece, Amy Pedersen
#5Uncle Pink -- Ellen F. Umali —
Eleanor Franco Umali2021-05-15 02:40
We never really lose a person we love. He remains part of our hearts for as long as we live.
Uncle Pink was always a part of our lives. When my sisters and I were children, I remember how excited we would be when Uncle Pink came to visit with our family in Fort McKinley. How captivated we would be with his innumerable stories. And how he made us laugh! What a treat it was to have him around.
At one time, when we were teenagers at a boarding house and nothing much happened except school and more school, here came Uncle Pink -- all dashing and elegant. He had come to treat us to our first ever taste of A&W Root Bear hamburgers and soda! Years ago, that was the most tremendous of treats! Despite his busy schedule (he was in Manila from Silliman University in Dumaguete City), he had taken the time to plan a special, thought-out outing.
Yes, Uncle Pink made you feel that you were as important as the president of the Philippines. He had the ability to listen. Because of his wealth of experience, he had the wisdom to understand and gently counsel. Most important, he had the heart to give of his time.
Uncle Pink, sharing time with you has been a treat and a pleasure. Thank you, and God bless you!
#4Frank Flores----Louise —
Louise Franco2021-05-12 14:09
When I think of Uncle Pink, I think of the family reunions he so tirelessly worked on. To get the Flores clan in one place is no small task. He was such an effective speaker, storyteller, emcee, joker, "reminiscer"...........he definitely sparked a lot of fun & meaning to the gatherings.
His deep love of family came from his faith.
I can't imagine a family reunion without him. I will miss you, Uncle.
But oh! there will be a greater reunion yet to come!
At 93 years, Uncle Pink lived a long and very productive life, having been a distinguished educator at three learning institutions in the Philippines: Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao; at Philippine Christian University (formerly PCC) in Manila; and at UP Diliman in Quezon City. His field was Linguistics and besides being a professor in these universities, he also taught English as a Second Language, outside the campus. He was actually my inspiration in getting a teaching certificate in ESL, from UC Santa Barbara, in case I landed a gig with the Peace Corps at one point in my life. I went to Silliman U at the start of college and wanted to take up Theater Arts, only to be interrupted by the political situation in the country at the outbreak of Martial Law under Marcos’s regime. I then transferred to PCC, realizing later that I was shadowing my uncle, who remained an influence in some of my career decisions. He directed me in several play productions while I was in college at PCC: “ Oli Impan,” “Hello, Out There”, and “All My Sons.” He was a kind and gentle soul. He will be sorely missed. But he probably wanted to be with his beloved wife, Aunt May. He missed her so much. God finally granted his wish and ended his suffering with his earthly life. Vaya con Dios, Uncle Pink! That was our pet nickname for him. My cousins and I grew up calling him Uncle Pink probably ‘cause we couldn’t pronounce Frank as little tykes.
Many memories of Uncle Pink. He would sometimes ask me to play for him “tugtug ka, Ne” or he would say “kanta tayo “ and we would go through a songbook from beginning to end. I remember how he would be so appreciative of little things I would buy for him , small assorted bottles of jam or special breads. I remember him during family reunions , reminding us of how short time was. He would retell stories of life as a youngster, a teen. So much trauma. Truly God was evident in his life. He was gentle, and funny. For all his accomplishments, he remained humble. Until we meet again, Uncle Pink. Thank you.
Frank Gubaton Flores was an actor, director, and theatre professor who was instrumental in shaping the pioneering theatre program of Silliman University, and who ushered in the modernist mode of theatrical productions in Dumaguete City. He was born in Mountain View, California on 29 February 1928, to Tomas Decierto Flores and Venancia Gubaton. He earned his bachelor's degree in English from Silliman University, graduating in 1952. His mentor, the future National Artist for Literature Edith Tiempo, encouraged him to pursue a master's degree in English, which he finished at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1958. He also earned an MA in linguistics in 1961 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and then a Ph.D. in English language and literature, also from the UM, graduating in 1963. While at the UM, he took an interest in acting, and began taking courses, learned the ropes of theatre in various student productions. He returned to Silliman University after his studies to head its Department of Language and Dramatic Arts, now the Speech and Theater Arts Department, in 1961. He founded the Portal Players, a group of theatre aficionados in the Silliman community, and between 1962 to 1964, they produced the trifecta of Wilfrid Pettitt's The Dictator Visits His Mother, Arthur Miller's All My Sons, and Arthur Laurent's Home of the Brave, all of which Flores directed. The reception of these plays proved astounding, gaining favorable notices beyond Dumaguete, that the Silliman administration soon spearheaded an effort to bring Portal Players to Manila. In 1966, they staged All My Sons at the Philamlife Auditorium and the Abelardo Hall at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Only in this production did the group officially begin using the name Portal Players, to identify them with Silliman University's icon. The group would continue its productions under the leadership of Amiel Leonardia when Flores moved to Manila in 1967 to become the director of the Inter-Church Language School of the Philippines, and then dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the Philippine Christian College, where he continued his theatre work even as he also continued his work as educator and administrator. He later became a lecturer at the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Among the other plays Flores directed include What Men Live By (1948, a play adapted from Leo Tolstoy), Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero's Forsaken House (1952), Marion Holbrook's Make Room for Rodney (1956), Oscar Wilde's The Finger of God (1956), Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (1965/1966), Norman Lindau's Cooks and Cardinals (1967/1979), Christopher Fry's Sleep of Prisoners (1967/1979), Jenny Worton's adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Through a Glass Darkly (1968), William Saroyan's Hello Out There (1968/1974/1976), Alberto S. Florentino's The World is an Apple (1970/1973/1975), Jean Giraudoux's Apollo of Bellac (1970), Henri Gheon's Christmas in the Marketplace (1972/1978), Robert Anderson's Tea and Sympathy (1976), and George S. Kaufman's You Can't Take It With You (1977). He acted in Ketti Gring's Look Homeward, Angel, John Osborne's Luther, and Aristophanes's Lysistrata (1968), in Mozart's The Impresario (1969), in Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage (1970), in Giraudoux's Apollo of Bellac (1971), in Miller's All My Sons (1972), in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's Auntie Mame (1973), in Eugene lonesco's Rhinoceros (1974), in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, in Beatriz Romualdez-Francia's Filipino rock opera Mahal (Beloved), in William Shakespeare's Othello, and in Burt Shevelovc and Larry Gelbart's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1975). He was also a soloist in choral speech presentations such as Arthur Sullivan's The Prodigal Son (1948), and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). He also participated in several radio plays from 1950 to 1956. [Modified by Ian Casocot from Ludendorffo Decenteceo / CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art] https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10165650639870529&set=a.198532850528
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I will always have special memories of Uncle Pink. From my earliest memories from childhood I thought Uncle Pink was special. For a young girl, to have an uncle called Pink, was fun and playful and every time I said his name to address him, it made me smile instinctively, visibly and sometimes internally. Through the years and as I got older, I always felt that delight when I said his name, “Uncle Pink.” In my entire life, I have never called Uncle Pink anything else, like Uncle Frank. It was a special name for a special person.
As children growing up in UP Los Banos, we always looked forward to Uncle Pink’s visits to our home. They were not often so they were special occasions for me. He always had sweet treats for us and he told us many stories in that gentle, soft voice of his. He always had a smile on his face and was quick to laugh, a gentle, soft laugh, and I thought, he’s always happy. He was kind and he gave us his time and attention, so I decided he was going to be my favorite Uncle Pink.
My favorite memory was seeing Uncle Pink getting married to Auntie May in our garden in Los Banos. It was an early morning wedding ceremony, there was still morning dew in the air, and together with my cousins the Francos, we were all frantic because we were up all night preparing the fruit salad and other food for the wedding breakfast. I remember the fruit salad because there was so much fruit to cut up.
It was special that Uncle Pink had chosen to have his wedding ceremony in our garden. The ceremony took place outside of our terrace , beside a fishpond with goldfish, water lilies and water plants. Over the fishpond was a small bridge leading up to the open terrace and under the “aratilis” tree, stood Uncle Pink. Beside him were our pastor from the Church Among the Palms and the priest from the Catholic church in the university. We were all seated in the inner part of the terrace, where chairs were placed for the wedding guests together with the tables for the food.
We watched as Auntie May, so serene in her wedding dress, walked across the small bridge to Uncle Pink and they exchanged their vows. It was simple and special. I have to admit that because it was so many years ago, I couldn’t remember the rest of the wedding and I’m sure there was a wedding song, probably sung by my Mom who was our family soloist. But I have kept the memory of a special wedding ceremony with plants, flowers and trees, and the sounds of birds in the early morning as a backdrop and Uncle Pink and Auntie May.
I have fond memories of Uncle Pink, in different times of my life. For example, the times when Uncle Pink would visit my Auntie Sab and I was in college, living with my aunt and cousins in Project 4, Quezon City. They were always fun visits and fun memories, like the times when we would watch beauty contests like the Miss Universe or Miss Philippines on TV. We would all try and guess the finalists and the winner and Uncle Pink got it right every time. I guess he had an eye for beauty. Anyway, it all ended up with a lot of laughs all around.
Some memories fade and details become more sketchy over the years but my memories of Uncle Pink will last forever. Uncle Pink was special not only because of his many accomplishments but because he was my favorite uncle who gave me many happy memories. He was also born on the 29th February 1928, a leap year. How special is that!
Uncle Pink will truly be missed by all of us who loved him.
Your niece,
Amy Pedersen
Uncle Pink was always a part of our lives. When my sisters and I were children, I remember how excited we would be when Uncle Pink came to visit with our family in Fort McKinley. How captivated we would be with his innumerable stories. And how he made us laugh! What a treat it was to have him around.
At one time, when we were teenagers at a boarding house and nothing much happened except school and more school, here came Uncle Pink -- all dashing and elegant. He had come to treat us to our first ever taste of A&W Root Bear hamburgers and soda! Years ago, that was the most tremendous of treats! Despite his busy schedule (he was in Manila from Silliman University in Dumaguete City), he had taken the time to plan a special, thought-out outing.
Yes, Uncle Pink made you feel that you were as important as the president of the Philippines. He had the ability to listen. Because of his wealth of experience, he had the wisdom to understand and gently counsel. Most important, he had the heart to give of his time.
Uncle Pink, sharing time with you has been a treat and a pleasure. Thank you, and God bless you!
His deep love of family came from his faith.
I can't imagine a family reunion without him. I will miss you, Uncle.
But oh! there will be a greater reunion yet to come!
He directed me in several play productions while I was in college at PCC: “ Oli Impan,” “Hello, Out There”, and “All My Sons.” He was a kind and gentle soul. He will be sorely missed. But he probably wanted to be with his beloved wife, Aunt May. He missed her so much. God finally granted his wish and ended his suffering with his earthly life. Vaya con Dios, Uncle Pink! That was our pet nickname for him. My cousins and I grew up calling him Uncle Pink probably ‘cause we couldn’t pronounce Frank as little tykes.
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