Manuel Cristobal Mariquit   04/04/08

MARIQUIT, MANUEL, JR., "ONIO," age 46, of North Plainfield, (formerly of Jersey City & Secaucus) on Thursday, April 3, 2008, at his home. Husband of 21 years of Marilou (Merza) Mariquit, Son of Maura Mariquit and the late Manuel Mariguit, Brother of Manolito, Reynaldo, Alexander and the late Gerardo Mariquit and 11 nieces & nephews. Funeral service will be held on Monday, April 7m 2008 at 8:00 a.m. at HIGGINS, HOME FOR FUNERALS, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, followed by a 9:00 a.m. funeral Mass at St. Joseph's Church in North Plainfield. Visitation will be on Saturday & Sunday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Cremation will be at Somerset Hills Memorial Park.

The Senior Mariquit might have been the greatest Filipino pitcher in the world of Philippine Baseball. Manuel Jr. received a full athletic scholarship at St Michael High School. He played for the old United Filipino American Athletic Association (UFAA) basketball league under Santy L. Munzones, Ray Tolentino and other first generation from the Philippines. He grew up in the area now named Manila Avenue during the seventies. Inside the Santa Cruz de Mayo neighborhood when the Filipino community was trying to find their place in the community for the second generation. This enslavement would become breeding ground of our community leaders..

Born in Manila, Philippines, Mr. Mariquit came to the United States at the age of 8 and settled in Jersey City. He then lived in Secaucus and Teaneck before moving to North Plainfield in 1997. He was a bookkeeper with Millenium Financial Services in New York. Mr. Mariquit attended St. Michaels High School, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. He was a founding member of the UFAAYC - The United Filipino American Association Youth Club. He enjoyed golf, basketball, softball and the ponies.

The fair-weather greeted the Divine Mercy Sunday pilgrims last week. Among the devoted was Maura C. (Airing) Mariquit who might took exception to the unusual climate as her premonition of another family tragedy. Indeed life is sometimes not only fair but t too short and even shorter for those with big heart. God ways of interpolation way beyond mathematical equation. It was easy for us to say to the Mariquit family that we just have to let it go but repeating it again very choking. I am sure that this lost will reinforce the rest of the family that we all became part of. It is God’s divine and mysterious way.