August 14, 2014

A sad goodbye…

The other day I received news that our former mechanic, Faro Lanuza passed away on August 8, 2014 after a brief illness. Faro was the best mechanic I had ever worked with, and a very special person who I and the staff will always remember warmly.

Years ago, before he retired, I wrote the following article about Faro for the club bulletin board and newsletter.  I’d like to share it once more.

Faro Lanuza is our mechanic and shop supervisor. Anymore, repairing equipment is no longer tightening bolts and changing oil – although there are times for that need, equipment technology has advanced the trade into electronics, computers, and hydraulics, that require skills and knowledge far beyond knowing wrenches.

Faro was born in the Philippines of Spanish parents who emigrated there from Spain.  He attended and graduated high school in Iriga City, and then moved to Manila where he worked his way through college employed at an electronics manufacturing plant. He first attended Mapua Institute of Technology, and transferred to Feati University, graduating with a degree each in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

After graduation Faro was recruited by many manufacturing companies to work for them, and over time, held many positions in these competing companies as plant supervisor, production supervisor, head of engineering and production, head of manufacturing design, etc. During these years, he also began his own engineering/electrical/ mechanical design consultant company, and later moved to Saudi Arabia to run a container manufacturing plant.

In 1986 Faro took time off from his career to visit relatives in the United States, and after touring the country, decided to stay here, settling in West Virginia, and starting a home improvement/ home construction company. On a job in Brigantine, he met his future wife, and after marriage settled in Galloway Township. During this period, at the urging of a friend, Faro appeared as a performer in the Broadway production of “Oklahoma”. In 2001 he became a United States citizen, disbanded his construction company and began a construction equipment repair business in Galloway.

Wanting to do something new, he came to Greate Bay in 2002, where he has used every bit of his knowledge and experience to help us do our best. Faro, who we nicknamed “Einstein”, can fix anything! And if he doesn’t like how something is made or works, he fabricates his own designs and parts to make them better. We could not do the things we do without Faro – he is special, and is arguably the most important person on our staff!

Faro lives in Galloway Township with his wife Prudence ( nurse at the Atlantic City Medical Center), and his teenage son. Faro is very active in many church organizations, sings for his church, plays piano, organ, violin, and harmonica, and is known to sing karaoke now and then!