Filipino Adventist Network: December 2016

B.S.E-English, 1960

Life Sketch

by Abner M. Jornada, Jr.

Born the last of 7 children, Elmore Naranjo Jornada, was fondly nicknamed “Agot” by family and close friends. The word “agot” comes from the Ilonggo word “kinagut” which means “the last of the scrapings”.

I am the son and namesake of Elmore’s oldest brother, Abner, and I called my uncle, Papa Elmore, as many of you also did.

Papa Elmore was born on October 22, 1935 in Banogon, Buenavista, on the island of Guimaras, in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. His father was the prominent Seventh-day Adventist minister, Pastor Fausto Jornada, who pioneered the SDA work in the Visayas. His mother, Beatriz Naranjo Jornada, was the cafeteria matron in West Visayan Academy for many, many years.

All of Papa Elmore’s siblings have passed away except for his sister, Linda Jornada Olarte who is here today.

Most of his early childhood days were spent at the West Visayan Academy campus in Guimaras but when World War II began, the Jornada family fled to Sibalom, Antique, the hometown of his mother. It was there that Papa Elmore started school.

In 1954 he finished high school at West Visayan Academy which by that time was located in Bongco, Pototan in Iloilo. He then went to Philippine Union College and that was when I met him, my father’s baby brother. My mom, sister and I lived in Leland Drive just outside the PUC campus. I remember that on most Friday afternoons, Papa Elmore and four of his friends would come to our house to cook and eat non-vegetarian food because they needed a break from the vegetarian food served in the college cafeteria. On those afternoons, he took the time to chat with me, and that meant a lot to me since I had lost my father a few years earlier.

It was at PUC that he met the love of his life, the former Eunice Malqued. Since he had a good singing voice and she played the piano, it was a perfect match. They say it was a perfect match made in the music building. She was very much in demand as an accompanist and as a singer. He was a member of the PUC Ambassadors under the directorship of Elton Wallace and sang Baritone in the elite Male Quartet. The other members of that quartet were Artemio Elumir, Lorenzo Lacson and Arthur Kong.

P.U.C. Male Quartet, 1957

L-R: Artemio Elumir, Elmore Jornada, Lorenzo Lacson, Arthur Kong

Photo courtesy of Eunice M. Jornada

P.U.C. Male Quartet, 1957
L-R: Lorenzo Lacson, Artemio Elumir, Arthur Kong, and Elmore Jornada
Photo courtesy of Eunice M. Jornada

Upper, L-R: Ben Siagian, Marciano Santiago, Jr., Nehemias Barnedo, Bert Moreno, Pangarisan (Paul) Sitompul, Epifanio (Nonoy) Alano, Alfonso Roda, Ricardo Salamante, Saw Eng Chuan, Arthur Kong, Gershon Brion;

Lower, L-R: Artemio Elumir, Daniel Alfanoso, Gerundio Ellacer, Nestor Zamora, Elmore Jornada, Elton H. Wallace, Edward Pan, Raymond Puen, Armando Espiritu, Juanito Villagomez, Domingo Villagomez

1957 P.U.C. Ambassadors Men's Chorus with Elton H. Wallace

Photo courtesy of Eunice M. Jornada

In 1960 Papa Elmore graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree with emphasis in English. He was Vice-President of their graduating class. In the following school year he was asked to teach English Literature and be Dean of Men at Mindanao Mission Academy.

At the end of that school year, on May 7, 1962 he and Mama Eunice were married at the chapel of the Philippine Publishing House. They then went back to MMA where Papa Elmore resumed his duties and Mama Eunice taught music. In 1963, they were called to be on the faculty of West Visayan Academy. Once again, Mama Eunice taught music and he was Dean of Boys. He also taught English Literature and History and was in charge of the Medical Cadet Corps.

In 1965, Papa Elmore became the Principal of WVA and served in that capacity until 1969 when he was called to PUC to be Assistant Director of Admissions. He also taught Educational Psychology and Land Reform & Taxation. In 1973 he became the Registrar and Director of Admissions. That was also the year he was awarded a Master of Arts in School Administration.

Papa Elmore and his family immigrated to Canada in 1977 and lived for 10 years in Toronto. He initially worked in the Registrar’s Office of Centennial College, but soon found a position at the offices of the Teachers’ Superannuation.

The Jornada family came to southern California in 1987 and he worked as Assistant Librarian at La Sierra University until he retired in 2007.

Papa Elmore and Mama Eunice have 4 children: Georgette (who is known as Apple-apple), Belinda, Elmore, Jr. (who is known as Boyette), and Elton. Georgette and Elton reside in southern California, while Belinda and Boyette live in the state of Washington.

In November of this year, Papa Elmore and Mama Eunice traveled to Washington to spend Thanksgiving with Mama Linda, Boyette, and Belinda and her family. They had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner but later, regretted that they did not take any family photos, as is the custom in most Filipino families. Rather, they came away with lots of pictures of -- the food.

The WVA Alumni Association had a meeting this past December 10 and Papa Elmore and Mama Eunice planned to attend. However, on that Sabbath afternoon, Papa Elmore suffered a massive stroke caused by a blood clot in his brain. He was in ICU at Loma Linda University Medical Center for almost a week and on December 16, 2016, Papa Elmore went to his rest.

He will be remembered as a competent and fair-minded administrator, a kind boss, a knowledgeable teacher, and a caring human being. He had a continuing love affair with Mama Eunice and was a wise and gentle father to their children and grandchildren. He was my father-figure, someone I could always go to for advice and encouragement. He was my light in the darkest days of my life.

Because he was relatively healthy and was ill for just a very short time, I find it difficult to believe that he is not with us anymore. I expect him to walk in the door, clap me on my shoulder and say, “Hey, Noy. How are you, Noy?”

Papa Elmore will be missed terribly by each one of us, but one day soon I will meet him on a street of gold and he will clap me on my shoulder and say, “Hey Noy. It is good to see you here, Noy.”