Benito B. Delos Santos

Benito B. Delos Santos, Jr. was born on February 2, 1937 to the union of Benito Delos Santos and Lourdes Benedicto in Tacloban, Philippines.  He lived most of his childhood life in Basay and moved to Manila to attend college where he met and married Leticia Cornista, the mother of his eight children. Ben, affectionately known as “Nonoy” to his siblings, “Daddy-O” to his children and “Lolo Ben” to his grandchildren was an accomplished, brilliant, talented, spirited, faithful Christian and servant to the Lord.  He was a scholar as he excelled and was always top of his class with honors since his elementary days all thru college.  He graduated from University of Manila in 1960 as a working student employed by Sun Brothers, an appliance company.  He was a Branch Manager and was recognized for his excellence and received numerous awards such as “Branch Manager of the Year”, which propelled his career in Marketing and Business Management for prominent companies—Soriano Marketing, Helene Curtis, Coca Cola and Union Carbide. In 1976 he eventually followed his dreams and started his own business--Goldsun Manufacturing and launched LeBien Ladies Clothing while he was finishing his MBA and graduated in 1978 from Ateneo University.  By 1979, he became President of  Philippine Handicraft Producers Cooperative (PHILHAPCO), affiliated with the Department of Trade in the Philippines for The Philippine Trade House, a project of then, First Lady, Imelda Marcos, which brought the family to settle in the United States in Miami, Florida.  By 1981, he incorporated Phil-Orient Trade, a wholesale company and Orient Imports, his retail company, in 1982.  His passion to give back led him to become very involved in leadership roles with Miami Shores Community Church, the Philippine American Ecumenical Fellowship and the creation of the Asian American Federation of Florida which exist to this day as a 501c3 educational and cultural resource umbrella organization that was incorporated in 1984. His yearning to write about his love for the sea as he was an avid fisherman is how his book, “Cinderina”, became a reality.  It was published in 2016 by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc. followed by a sequel titled “Space Colonies” and a compilation of poems written in 2017.   Ben Delos Santos, Jr. departed this life on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Florida.  He was preceded in death by his father, Benito Delos Santos, his mother, Lourdes Delos Santos and his son, Ben, Jr.   He leaves to cherish his memory:  His brothers, Rudy and Seafield Delos Santos (Philippines); his brother, Daniel Delos Santos (CT), his sister, Bethel Celicious (Philippines); Letty C. Delos Santos, the mother of his eight children (Kissimmee, FL); his eldest daughter, Susanne Tiausas and husband, Carlo Magno (Philippines); his daughter, Carolyn Porter and husband, Dr. Brian Porter (Chester, NJ); his son, Anthony Delossantos and wife, Daisy (Coral Springs, FL); his daughter, Gemma A. Pressinger and husband, Whitfield, IV (Kissimmee, FL); his daughter, Elaine Fravel and husband, Mark (Lighthouse Point, FL); his son, Richard Delossantos and his wife Genevieve (Coconut Creek, FL); his youngest daughter, Sarah Martin (Orlando, FL); his 14 Grandchildren and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends around the globe.