Aged To Perfection

When Bing was asked to join some friends who supposedly just arrived from the Philippines for dinner at the Renault Winery Resort and Golf on October 19, 2014, he had no idea that about ninety of his friends and relatives would be in the dinner party.  Jang Hock Lao, a townmate from the beautiful years in Jolo informed Bing that Andek and Nelson Chiong also townmates from Jolo, would be in New Jersey and would he want to meet up with them?  Of course, everyone except Bing knew that Andek and Nelson were in the Philippines, unaware that their names were being used as bait.  Bing must have wondered why so many Filipino faces were at the ballroom and was pleasantly surprised that everyone was there to honor and celebrate his 70th birthday.

Antonio Velasco was born during the war and grew up in Jolo, during the golden years of this then island paradise.  Bing as he is known to friends and family grew to be a handsome young man.  He attended Notre Dame school where the mentors were American missionaries, the Oblate Fathers, Marist Brothers, Presentation Sisters and the Dominicans.  Upon graduating from high school, as with most other young graduate from Jolo, Bing was shipped off to the big city for college.  A college education was a social must in this placid, and seemingly lazy town.

 

Bing met, fell in love with and married Myrna Quiachon.  Soon after, the couple immigrated to the United States, to settle in New Jersey raising two good looking sons and a gorgeous daughter.  Their growing family has been supplemented by four beautiful grandchildren.

Bing’s 70th birthday party started with an open bar, featuring the winery’s best, with delicious hor d’ oeuvres that just kept coming.  Brother Alfred George, one of the beloved Marist brothers who spent his “best years as a Christian Brother, not in the Philippines, but in Jolo” said grace and a short speech.  Brother Alfred was best known for his bark, and his gentle bite.  He kept every one in line with his no-nonsense attitude and in a heart-warming event, gave his basketball players original Converse sneakers, imported from the United States.

In between bites of filet mignon and salmon or chicken entree, the DJ pumped up the music and soon the dance floor soon crowded up with graceful dancers

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Here are some of the guests, for more photos, go to FaceBook of Antonio G Velasco or Sonny Luch

More Bro. Alfred photos

A plug for Heineken?

Are you going to drink that?

This little tyke had slick moves to Billie Jean, and his moonwalk could have given Michael Jackson a run for his money

The birthday cake “Happy Birthday Pop Pop”

and the sign-in board, featuring Bing flanked by two hotties

 

Soon enough, The Last Dance was played and the party started winding down.  Old friends hugged and speculated on the next 70th birthday gathering.