My wife and I are at the age that we have started to read the obituaries every so often. Not so much for folks our age that have passed away (though there are a few) but friends of older siblings, parents, etc. instead. I have also noted with interest several unconventional obituaries in the past, mostly related to families that had well, multiple families or spouses. I regret not clipping some of the more outrageous ones as they are truly article material. But today, my wife spotted this obituary on page B7 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and frankly, it brought a smile to our faces… it reads, in part:
“Jundy was called by the Executive Chef to the big buffet in the sky to feast with HIM and his brother, Jody, in eternity. He will be sorely missed by his wife… parents… and sister…”
Bravo to the family of Jundy, who I don’t know from Adam, for having such a sense of lightness and of respect for the wishes of their dearly departed. I will say a prayer and I hope that many others do as well, as a Chef in Heaven with unlimited produce, foie, caviar, really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, champagne, etc. and presumably no ill effects on our fragile bodies…is a dream come true. Life is fleeting…go through it with at least a sense of humour!
I am still vascillating what my own obituary might read… but a simple “Fed Up” might do… heehee, get the pun?
12 Responses
That’s so sad – he was very young, whoever he was. I hope he does meet The Executive Chef. And yes, so bittersweet that the family has a sense of humour about it.
My heaven would be everything you said (yes, really good EVOO)plus all the roasted lamb, duck, lobster, pig etc. that I can’t really eat here (on earth). But wouldn’t they be alive in heaven after their souls are resurrected too? Pardon the strange thoughts…
I respect whatever the family of the deceased wrote at the obituary notice. They put humor in their difficult time of mourning. It might ease some pain and burden in doing so or they carry out the wish of the deceased or it was written by the deceased himself prior to his departure? May Jundy rest in peace and eternal light shine upon him.
Chef Jundy Gueco was supposed to do a Unilever Food Solutions demo on November 18, 2006 at the Baguio Tossed Salad Fest. He’s still listed in the programme.
Heaven is generally construed as a place of happiness, sometimes eternal happiness. Christianity states that “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved.” These religions also state that someone must repent (turn back) from sin in order to get to heaven. Protestantism, which takes emphasis off having lived a “good life” and teaches instead that entrance to heaven is conditional on belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ assuming the guilt of the sinner, rather than any other good or bad ‘works’ one has participated in. One religion, universalism, believes that everyone will go to Heaven eventually, no matter what they have done or believed on earth. For me only God has the final say on who enters Heaven. My prayers for Jundy….
I remember reading about him in Food Magazine a few months ago. That obituary definitely caught my attention.
I met him last month in Baguio for the tourism weekend. He was a funny person, and he loved what he was doing. I really had fun eating breakfast and talking with him and his wife.
Chef Jundy, may he rest in peace.
Your post does remind me of this internet joke many of you might be familiar with.
Marty & Jane were driving home after an expensive – yet bland – dinner. Since Marty’s minor heart attack 15 years ago, Jane had kept her hubby on a strict, low sodium, low fat, low cholesterol diet, depriving him of all the foods he loved.
As Marty turned the corner at a busy intersection, another car slammed into theirs, killing Marty & Jane instantly.
St. Peter greeted the couple at the Pearly Gates and took them on a tour of Heaven. Their first stop was a luxury mansion: “Your new home,” St. Peter told them.
Looking at the expensive marble floors, Marty asked, “How much is this going to cost us?”
“Nothing,” St. Peter replied. “Everything is free in Heaven.”
Next, they visited their new championship-style golf course.
“This is your private golf course,” St. Peter said. “It changes daily, representing the greatest golf courses on Earth.”
“What are the green fees?” Marty asked.
“This is Heaven,” St. Peter said. “You play for free, my friend.”
Then they went to the clubhouse and saw a lavish buffet made from the best cuisine Earth had to offer.
“How much to eat?” Marty asked.
St. Peter replied, “My friend, don’t you understand yet? This is Heaven – it’s all free!”
“I see,” Marty said, scratching his chin. “Tell me, is that meal low sodium, low fat and low cholesterol?”
“No,” St. Peter said. “And that’s really the best part: You can eat as much as you like, of whatever you want, and never get fat or sick. This is Heaven!”
With that, Marty pitched a fit: He tossed his halo on the floor and took the Lord’s name in vain (several times, in fact).
“Marty!” Jane cried. “What’s wrong?”
Marty glared at his wife. “What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! If it wasn’t for your daggone bran muffins, I could have been here fifteen years ago.
i knew chef jundy. he was a very pleasant, easy going guy, only 37 yrs old. his younger brother died 2 yrs ago of a heart attack also. just like jundy, his folks have likewise undergone a heart bypass operation. we spent 4 riotous days last month in baguio along with a great group that included former mandarin’s executive chef norbert gandler; cirkulo’s jay gamboa; 9501’s myrna segismundo, people’s palace and sala’s colin mackay, LoloDad’s ariel and mia manuel, dos mestizos (in boracay’s binggoy remedios, pastry bin’s penk cheng, food writer micky fenix and about a dozen more crazy (but hardworking) guys who were invited to judge in the hotel and restaurant association of baguio’s 4th culinary festival. jundy and young pretty wife pia were telling us they couldn’t wait until jundy’s work schedule eases off so that they could go on a real honeymoon – they haven’t had that since they got married recently. finally they had a chance to fly to club noah in palawan last week where the sad, unfortunate thing happened. God has His reasons for choosing to take Jundy away from Pia at that particular moment and I hope and pray – as I please wish you would, too – that Pia accepts this terrible loss with faith and without rancour in her heart. And yes, likewise, I hope and pray too that Jundy, indeed, is really having a terrific time indulging himself with gusto in that eternal banquet of banquets that’ll last forever in the great beyond…
I knew Chef Jundy personally. If he were alive now and happened to see that an obit like that, he would quote it and laugh. A kind and jolly, he will be greatly missed.
I also knew Jundy personally. I knew him as a fellow La Salle Green Hills alumnus, member of the UP Pre-Medical Society, and graduate of the California Culinary Academy (though at different times). We last shared a table at Je Suis Gourmand during a Les Toques Blanches affair.
Jasmine was right. He was indeed a kind and jolly fellow matched with a quick wit and a self-deprecating sense of humor. Jundy was married last year, and was enjoying a delayed honeymoon in Palawan at the time of his heart attack.
He worked in various restaurants and hotels before becoming Executive Chef for Unilever. He was also consultant, I believe, at Heaven and Eggs. Now, he only has Heaven.
Jundy, dear buddy, save some for me. You will be missed.
Mon
i’m getting a bit teary eyed. I may not know him but may his soul rest in peace.
I’m so sad to read this and astonished that I didn’t hear about it until now. Jundy and I worked together when I was still writing for Food magazine. He’s all the good, funny things that people say and much, much more. When I die, I hope that my surviving family can put out just as delicious an obit as that one.