I KABAYERO AS "UNCLE REY"

IGNACIO MENDIOLA REYES

(1923 ~ 2018)

Kabayero, at its basic, means someone honorable, respectable, noble.

It implies a man of virtue, fairness, wisdom.

It is borrowed from the Spanish word caballero, from caballo or "horse." A caballero is a horseman, a knight and all the virtues that were traditionally ascribed to knights.

A kabayero may not have wealth. He may not occupy powerful political office. He may not even speak much in public. But when he speaks, people listen. His wisdom and moral rectitude command respect and wield influence.

Kabayero is how I would describe Uncle Rey, whose formal name was Ignacio Mendiola Reyes. He was born in Malesso' in 1923, the son of a Malesso' father and a mother from Sumay. I guess the "Rey" came from his last name Reyes, which in English sounds like "RAY - JESS." Some people spell it "Uncle Ray" but his funeral announcement spells it "Rey."

He was called "Uncle" because he and his wife, the former Rosa T. Aguigui, didn't have children of their own. But they were like uncle and aunt, and even grandpa and grandma, to many people, starting with their nieces and nephews and their children, but also to many people who were not related by blood.

Uncle Rey and Rosa with Father Lee

Uncle Rey was a gentle, soft-spoken man who was always in a pleasant, calm mood. I would visit him from time to time and ask him sensitive questions about the war. He would listen (he was very good at that), and before he would respond, he would sit back and think for a moment. He thought before he spoke, weighing his words. His answers were always honest but also worded very carefully, so that he was never unfair in his description of events or people. He was what we call mehnalom in Chamorro. It means someone reflective, a thinker. That word comes from mi (meaning "abundant") and hinalom (meaning "interior"). He had an abundance of interior thinking and reflection.

He was elected Mayor of Malesso' from 1952 to 1956, was a school teacher and then a truant officer. He was married to the former Rosa Tyquiengco Aguigui (Auntie Chai), the first woman on Guam  elected to public office (the consultative Guam Congress) in 1946. Together they were a couple dedicated to all their nephews and nieces and their children.

On their wedding day

Fishing was Uncle Rey's great love and he did it often. He was also an active member of San Dimas parish in Malesso', serving on many church committees throughout the years and singing in the San Dimas Mens Choir.

An expert fisherman

One man from Malesso' described him as makalamya. Makalamya means someone active and industrious, but also in an effective way. Someone who knows how to get things done or find people who know how to get the job done.

If you ask me what makes me proud about our Chamorro people and culture, it's people like Uncle Rey and Auntie Chai that make me proud. Good people.

Deskånsa gi minahgong, Uncle Rey. Un merese i deskånson i man fiet. (Rest in peace, Uncle Rey. You deserve the rest of the faithful.)

Uncle Rey and Auntie Chai