​From:

Mario's granddaughter, Raquel Robles

 

Many of my happiest memories are with my grandfather: waking up at the crack of dawn to help him with breakfast and then off to the post office and the grocery store. Grocery shopping with Tata was the best because he always filled the cart with everything I wanted. Tata also gave me my first job, as his office assistant, with payment in the form of McDonald's milkshakes. As little girls, my sister and I took road trips to Chicago with Sasa and Tata, marking the beginning of my love for the city. I remember sitting in the hotel in Chicago as Tata carefully peeled his favorite fruit, a mango, saying, "Here, try it, it is delicious." From that point on mangos were my favorite fruit as well. And as we became adults, Tata was always there for us. He came to visit when Jay, his first great-grandchild was born, and, along with my mom, walked me down the aisle at my wedding. And as his memory faded, even though he couldn't remember their names, Tata never forgot to ask how my two "fellows" were doing (meaning Jay and Richard), somehow always remembering that Richard worked nights and Jay played basketball. I was always so proud of Tata, bragging to everyone I knew that my grandfather took university students abroad to study in Italy. I always held my head high while by his side; he was such a handsome and charming man, always returning a compliment with a compliment. I will be forever grateful to have been blessed with such a selfless, loving, and giving man as my grandfather, who held the key to my heart: food, compliments, and unconditional love - all of which he never failed to deliver.