Obituary of Taurino Dace

Taurino Racca Dace, known affectionately and simply to us as dad, slipped into a deep sleep and passed peacefully on September 17, 2018, with our mom and his ever faithful dog by his side, in Puyallup, Washington. Dad made his grand appearance into this world on August 11, 1942, in the town of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Born to Ysidra and Macario Dace, he was one of four children, with older siblings Demetrio and Juanita, and his younger brother, Alejandro. They would live together as a family for only four short years, when Macario, determined to find a better life for his family, left the security and familiarity of the Philippines for Hawaii in 1946. Finding work on a sugar cane plantation, Macario worked tirelessly and brought each family member one by one via boat as money allowed. Dad was first to come over, followed by Juanita, then Ysidra, with Alejandro next, and lastly Demetrio. Finally, on March 13, 1966, the Dace family was reunited for the first time again in many years after Demetrio safely arrived in Kauai. In 1969, Ysidra and Macario established the town of Puhi as the Dace homestead, then moved to a small house on Kapena Street in Lihue in 1972 where they lived for 13 years until Macario's death on September 21, 1985. When dad left the Philippines, he had finished his sophomore year in high school, but had to repeat it once he arrived in Kauai so he could learn English. Undaunted and determined, he achieved this quickly; he skipped 11th grade and went straight to his senior year. A proud member of the FFA club, he graduated in the 1962 class of Kauai High School and enlisted in the US Army the following year. It was there where he would meet his future wife, as well as set the tempo for his life to come. In December 1970, dad’s eye was caught by an enchanting, young, and beautiful woman named Gwen while both were at Fort Shafter in Honolulu. Ever the charmer himself, dad and this black haired, slender beauty would date until their marriage on February 14, 1972. From there, the adventures of what would become the Dace family took life, starting with a whirlwind journey spent traversing a part of the world that could only be described as magical. Dad’s work obligations landed them in Germany next, where, along with daughter Susan, two more children were born. Durand and Daryl, born ten months apart, rounded out the Dace family. The three of us were treated to an amazing childhood, with the best adventures and road trips around Western Europe in a swanky Dodge Cobra camper van. It was this fine piece of recreational wizardry which would hook dad into a love of vehicle camping, which he would share with us for many decades to come. Unbeknownst to us at the time, dad always considered a long summer road trip in 1980, where he took us to see the sights, sounds, and smells of the coastlines of Spain and Portugal, to be one of his greatest gifts he could give us. He spared no expense and did whatever he could to give us an experience we would never forget. In the years that followed, Uncle Sam sent our family to Fort Lewis, Washington, then to Schinnen, Holland, and ultimately back to Fort Lewis where dad would have a long and celebrated career in the Army. Much like his father, dad worked tirelessly and dedicated his life to making ours better. He was fiercely proud of his service to country, retiring at the rank of First Sergeant on October 31, 1986. Never one to simply sit still, dad continued on his path of service to others working as a life skills mentor at Goodwill Industries, followed by many years as a maintenance worker at Best Western Park Plaza in Puyallup. In short time, his bosses realized he could fix anything and had the ability to coach and motivate others, and promoted him to supervisor until his final retirement in 2008. Mom and dad liked to call his retirement “pau hana,” which means “finished with work” in Hawaiian. Together, they embarked on many adventures camping and fishing, most often at American Lake. When not on the road or lakeside, dad would tend to his immaculate yard and flowers, and spend time with us. We each went our separate ways to pursue our own paths, and as a reward for his life well lived, gave him and mom several grandchildren in return: Tyler, Curtis, Emerson, and Preston. Spending time with them was dad’s ultimate joy, as he took them fishing and showed them the good life from the back of a truck mounted camper. Dad’s other love was entertainment wrestling, which he would often watch downstairs into the late hours on the weekend, with his dogs by his side and a bag of peanuts nearby. Shortly following the death of his mother on September 3, 2012, dad received grim news about his health when doctors diagnosed him with cancer. Always the man who personified the definition of hard work and never giving up, dad took the news in stride and vowed to fight. With the support of mom and everyone around him, dad opted for treatment and showed the world his tenacity and will to live. For six long years, he endured many trips to see multiple doctors and refused to let cancer rob him of enjoying life. Just as he had throughout his life, he simply would not give up. The cancer, however, was relentless, and forced dad to mount his final fight for life where was admitted into Madigan Army Hospital in June. It was there where family came from all over to the west coast to see and encourage him. Dad, ever the man who would defy being told he could not do something, decided to not listen to the doctors who said he had but a few days left and pushed onward. He transitioned to an assisted living facility in Puyallup where he somehow fell in love with their coffee and lemonade. Just after 7:30 pm on Monday, September 17, dad took his last breath with mom and his dog at his side. Ah, but do not be sad, because dad would not want that. Instead, he would want us to take the life lessons he taught each of us and help others. His first priority was family, and he always reminded us to love one another and to look for the good in others. Dad is preceded in death by his parents, Macario and Ysidra, and his siblings, Demetrio and Juanita. He is survived by his wife Gwen; daughter Susan Lau-Roberts and husband Bob of Thousand Oaks, California; daughter Daryl Stewart, husband Scott and grandchildren Tyler, Curtis, and Emerson of Bainbridge Island, Washington; son Durand Dace, wife Dori, and Alexa Johnson of Whidbey Island, Washington; and grandson Preston Hensley of Henderson, Nevada. He is also survived by his brother Alejandro and wife Lydia of Stockton, California, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Services for dad are scheduled for Thursday, October 11, at Hill Funeral Home in Puyallup starting at 11 am, with interment to follow at Tahoma National Cemetery with full military honors in Kent at 1:30. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you find simply find joy in helping others and take care of each other, just as dad did, and live aloha. Lastly, we wish to extend special thanks to the many care teams to include the doctors and nurses at Madigan Army Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Multicare Hospice Care, and Linden Grove Care Home for their support and love not only to dad, but to us. Rest in love and aloha, dad. We love and miss you so very much, and thank you for all you have done for us.