Apart from teen actress Julia Buencamino, Philippine show business lost two veteran actors last week: character actress Lucita Soriano and 1950s matinee idol Robert Campos.
Soriano died of cardiac arrest and kidney failure on Wednesday. She was 74.
Campos succumbed to colon cancer on Wednesday as well. He was 75.
Soriano’s wake is currently at the Jesus Our Salvation Ministry in Quezon City, but will later be moved to the family home in Pateros on Tuesday. Funeral date is yet to be finalized.
Campos’ wake is at the Funeraria Paz Chapels in Sucat, Parañaque. He will be cremated today.
Chef-athlete
“Everything that happened was the will of the Lord,” said veteran actress Luz Valdez of the death of her former husband, LVN Pictures matinee idol Campos or Robert Cecil Fort Donato in real life.
“Our two kids (Maleck and Robby) and I are saddened by his passing, but we know God will take care of us. He gave us friends and relatives who support us during our time of grief,” said Valdez, adding that even though she had long been separated from Campos, “our respect for each other remained.”
ROBERT Campos
Campos was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. The actor was only on the seventh of a 12-session chemotherapy treatment when he passed away. Campos fought the illness until the end, daughter Maleck recalled.
Campos and Valdez met at the LVN studios where they starred in several films. Despite the separation, “they were OK,” the daughter said.
“I am happy that our families get along well. When his sister and nieces saw me on Thursday, they all hugged me. I told them how much I appreciate them,” said Valdez.
Maleck shared with the Inquirer, “Dad loved acting. Even when he already had a family, he would still accept acting projects. It was his first love.”
Campos made his acting debut in the film “Rose Tattoo ng Buhay Ko” (1958), which top-billed singer Diomedes Maturan and actress Charito Solis.
He remained active until the 1980s and starred in such films as “Bagets” (1984), “Soltero” (1984), “Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin” (1984), “Working Girls” (1984) and “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (1985).
Campos was also an athlete, the daughter said. “He loved to play tennis and was part of the swimming varsity team of San Beda, where he won several medals.”
As a father, Campos was “patient and understanding,” added Maleck. “He was quiet and not strict at all. He loved all of his grandchildren. His eyes would light up whenever he was around them. I saw that in his eyes for the last time when my daughter Dani arrived at the emergency room.”
“I will miss everything about him,” she said. “He was also a chef. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu (a known hospitality institution) here in Manila when he was younger. That’s what the whole family would miss the most.”
He used to own a Spanish restaurant called Roberto’s along Edsa.
Bubbly, full of life
“My mom was bubbly and full of life. She taught us how to believe and trust the Lord in all the things we do,” former show biz personality Garry Garcia said of his mother, veteran actress Lucita Soriano.
Soriano, whose career spanned over five decades, was to turn 75 on July 14.
“We already made plans for her. I’ve been shooting and sending video greetings of her friends here in the United States,” Garcia, who’s based in Austin, Texas, told the Inquirer.
Garcia is Soriano’s son with her late first husband and fellow actor Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia.
LUCITA Soriano frequently shared the screen with Fernando Poe Jr.
In 2005, the actress moved to the United States, where she met retired American civil engineer Michael Mayr, whom she wed in 2009. The couple moved to Sacramento, California, where the actress—a born-again Christian—used to conduct Bible studies.
Soriano returned to the Philippines in February to visit her 94-year-old mother, Elvira Soriano-Adriano. “She was supposed to have a Christian celebration with pastors of the churches she frequented, too,” he related.
Soriano is loved by many, Garcia said, not only because she was an actress, but because she deeply valued the people in her life.
“She used to wake up in the morning and start her day with praise, worship and prayer. She cared for the people around her, whether they were rich or poor,” Garcia related.
A prolific actress, Soriano was often cast in villainess and mother roles.
Soriano won the best supporting actress award at the Quezon City Film Festival for the 1972 movie “And God Smiled at Me,” which top-billed Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III. She appeared in such films as “Ang Babae sa Breakwater” (2003), “Curacha: Ang Babaeng Walang Pahinga” (1998) and “Paradise Inn” (1985).
She was also part of the cast of the TV series “Valiente” (1992 to 1997), “Familia Zaragoza” (1995) and “Pangako sa ’Yo (2000 to 2002).