Tersito Sabaduquia Serate

October 19, 1937 – July 19, 2026

Tersito Sabaduquia Serate, devoted husband, father, grandfather, physician, and veteran, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2026, at the age of 88 — just weeks after the passing of his beloved wife of 62 years, Melvina.

Born in the Philippines on October 15, 1937, Tersito was the seventh of twelve children. His belief in hard work and education motivated him to earn his bachelor’s degree from Silliman University and his medical degree from the University of the Philippines. After completing his medical education, he married the love of his life, Melvina Ramos, in 1963. Three years later, they courageously relocated to New York to make a new life in America.

His medical career took the family across New York, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. As his medical experience grew, so did his family. He and Melvina had four young sons by the time he headed a clinic in Virginia.

Committed to serving not only his patients but to the country that offered opportunities to him and his family, Tersito joined the United States Navy medical corps in 1980. He relocated his family near the Pt. Mugu Naval Base in California and later established permanent roots in Oxnard, where he would serve patients, community, and military for the next 46 years.

In Oxnard, Tersito built a medical practice from the ground up. Through the years, he also served with the United States Navy Reserve, rising to the rank of Captain. When Operation Desert Storm called, Captain Serate answered without hesitation, even as his deployment required him to close his medical practice. Shortly after returning from active duty, he retired from both medicine and military service, shifting his focus to serving his local community and spending time with his grandchildren.

Tersito was active in his local Filipino community, serving on the Board and leading as President of the Filipino Community of Ventura County, Inc. (FCVCI). He was also active at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, serving on various committees and as a member of the Admin Board.

Of all the service roles he held throughout his life, perhaps none brought him greater joy than being Dad to his four sons and Lolo to his ten grandchildren. He taught persistence through example and creativity and resourcefulness through his own two hands. His four sons still laugh about the family Monopoly game he refused to end until it was properly finished — at two o'clock in the morning. His grandchildren witnessed creativity and resourcefulness from the creations he would build from scrap material, from the halo-halo stand to the push cart and kid-sized clubhouse. When something broke, he fixed it. Those traits live on in each of his sons and some of his grandchildren.

He is survived by his four sons: Lester, William, Richard, and Henry; daughters-in-law Cerese, Magnolia, and Angela; ten grandchildren; and many beloved relatives around the world.

Captain Tersito Sabaduquia Serate, M.D., leaves behind a legacy written in the patients he healed, the country and community he served, and the family he loved. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him.