Obituary of Jose Augustus Ibe
IBE, JOSE AUGUSTUS (SONNY) With profound sadness, the family announces the passing of Jose Augustus (Sonny) Ibe in his 73rd year peacefully on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 . Sonny will be deeply missed by his devoted wife Vernie of 49 years, his son Jasper, his daughter Vanessa, her wife Amber Duplechain and his grandkitty Ezra who he fondly referred to as his “little buddy”. He was predeceased by his parents Librado and Adelaida Ibe. He is survived by his brothers Buddy and Julius and his sisters Cristina and Ellen. He will be missed by his sisters-in-law Josie Dayao, Beth Maravilla, Annie Levesque, Lou de Castro and brother-in-law Douglas Wilkie. He was loved and respected by his cousins. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who will undoubtedly miss their Tito Sonny.
Sonny was a kind, noble and gentle soul loved by all who met him. People were drawn to his quiet decency and judgement-free acceptance. So much of what mattered in his family’s lives began and ended with Sonny and they were grateful to have had him. He embodied the family-centric values he learned from his parents which brought him great joy until the end.
His love of the outdoors intensified during summer when he took a weekly trip to his Rice Lake cottage in Peterborough to go fishing and boating around the lake. An activity he enjoyed late in life was ballroom and line dancing which brought him good friends and fun times when he attended Filipino gatherings during the cold winter months. He retired in 2018 after 43 years of working in building maintenance and operations – a career which introduced him to many of his closest and longstanding friends.
He loved his job because he was able to use his mechanical engineering skill set to the fullest. He considered himself an inventor of gadgets or any item that made life easier for him. Some of his proudest contraptions were a backscratcher (a wide hair brush to a curved long handle), a crane that he used to lift and place the docks at his cottage, the winter cover he used for his boat, and a garbage and recycling sorter which he created a few years before a similar design was unveiled by the city of Toronto. He loved working with his hands and making things.
He impressed upon Jasper and Vanessa that if they want to buy or eat whatever they want, they have to be prepared to work hard for it. One of his favourite pastimes is his love for music; playing the piano and strumming the guitar and most of all singing although sometimes out of tune. In his last few days, he loved listening to his music so much so that he made sure Vanessa and Jasper loaded his iPad with his favourite songs so that it could play on repeat.
After retirement, he traveled to the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore and appreciated the local cuisine which he had seen on TV. On his last visit to Manila in 2019, he relived the good ole days by meeting boyhood friends and visiting his favorite restaurants when he was dating Vernie.
The family extends a special Thank You to the rehabilitation team at Bridgepoint Active Healthcare and the medical team of the Palliative Care Unit at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre for their kindness and exemplary care.
He faced all challenges, including his recent battle with cancer, with courage, grace and his unwavering faith in God which comforted him in his final days.
He lived life to the fullest and will be deeply missed. Though he may be gone from our sight, he will remain in our hearts.
Visitation for family and friends will be held at the Humphrey Funeral Home located at 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East) on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 and Thursday, November 4, 2021 from 3:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. both days.
The Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine at 3170 St. Clair Ave E, Scarborough on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 11:30 A.M. Burial will follow at Pine Hills Cemetery.
Anyone attending the visitation must provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (QR Code or Certificate with Photo ID) and provide information for contact tracing purposes prior to entering Humphrey Funeral Home. Face masks must also be worn at all times during the visitation and the Funeral Mass.
For those who are unable to attend in person, the following services will be livestreamed:
- Eulogies on Thursday November 4th at 6:30 P.M.
- Funeral Mass on Saturday November 6th at 11:30 A.M.
© 2021 Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles – Newbigging Chapel Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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