Arturo De Vera Torres, 94, passed away at home with family, on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, in San Leandro, CA.
Arturo was born on February 4, 1928, in Sison, Pangasinan Philippines. He was the only son of Maria Sabado de Vera and Agripino Baterina Torres. He grew up in Rosario, La Union & was a long-time resident of Quezon City, in the Philippines.
He emigrated to the USA from the Philippines in 1992, 4 years after retiring from a distinguished career in government service, in the Philippines. Arturo was a World War II veteran who served with the Philippine Scouts/US Army and was deployed in Iwo Jima, Japan, as part of the US Army Occupation forces after the surrender of Japan. Following his discharge from the US Army, he joined the Quezon City Police in 1949, as he put himself thru Law School. In 1954, he joined the Quezon City Fire Service, where he rose from the ranks to become Fire Chief of the city from 1979 to 1986. He went on to become Deputy Superintendent then Superintendent of Fire District II, in Metro Manila where he retired with a rank of Colonel in 1988. He worked as a security officer after emigrating to the US in 1992 until his retirement in 2005.
He is survived by Pacita Torres, nee Rivera, his wife of 61 years, and six children: Maria Aurora, who is married to Angelito Sy, Arturo Jr., Jesus Ben Hur, Grace Emerald, Giovanni Anthony & Judith Milagros.
A funeral vigil is scheduled from 4PM-8PM on November 21, 2022, at the OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL PARISH CHURCH in San Leandro, CA.
A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM on November 22, 2022, at the OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL PARISH CHURCH, followed by interment at 12:30 PM at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, CA.
Reception will follow at the Spin-A-Yarn Steakhouse in Fremont, CA after interment.
