A Tribute to Avel Santiago's life
Avelino J. Santiago (2/25/1955-11/23/2020)
If you've ever had the pleasure of meeting any members of the Santiago family you would have met some of the nicest and warm hearted people the world has to offer.
Avel Santiago, was no exception to this; out of all the Santiagos he is hands down the goofiest, most kind hearted, and most thoughtful of the bunch. From being a caring and nurturing father to four children, Joseph-Christian (31), Kristen (28), Francis (27), and Issac (7) - to being a loving Husband to his wife Malyn. He would do his utmost best to bring warmth to your heart or even a goofy dance just get a smile out of your face. 
Avel was a simple man, who wanted to live a simple and peaceful life. He didn't ask for much other than to spend time and bring joy to his family. He liked his coffee with a lot sugar and creamer; liked wearing a lot of stripes and cargo shorts; had fun with his coworkers; looked forward to making his Daughter-in-law, Lina, turon; enjoyed poking fun at Jason, Kristen's significant other; always asked Francis to sleepover (which he did); enjoyed taking Isaac to Dunkin Dounts to get Isaac's weekly chocolate munchkins; kept close to his brother and sisters & visited them as much as possible; loved making Malyn laugh at every joke and gesture he made. And above all else, cherished the people he loved the most.
His Battle
In early November, Avel unfortunately contracted COVID-19. An outpour of prayers and hope were sent for a full recovery. The following days he had a slight cough and fatigue. Noticing his shortness of breath, he called for an ambulance where he was rushed and admitted to City Hospital at White Rock Lake on November 11th.
There he spent the next week and a half putting up the strongest fight of his life, not only for himself...but also for the family that was waiting for him to come home. It wasn't until Friday, November 20th when matters turned for the worse: Avel was put on a ventilator and on life support. Prayers upon prayers were made, calls after calls & texts after texts were sent to Avel and his family wishing and hoping for any chance of recovery. Just something. After battling for what was thought the worst, Avel suffered a heart attack that diminished his chances of recovery.
Though he continued to struggle and fight for the following days, on November 23, 2020, Avel J. Santiago gave his last bit of strength to hold on long enough for Kristen and Francis to see him and hold his hand one last time; for Joseph Christian to thank him for being the greatest dad any of us could have asked for; for Elizabeth Calove to thank him for their shared children and past love; for Luz & Bobby Henares to see him resting, at peace, and promising to support his children as well as their future children; for Isaac to see his daddy one last time and to promise he will be a good boy; and finally for Malyn to say her loving goodbyes, gratitude for the past 11 years filled with nothing, but love & happiness and for her to vow to watch over their young child as well as their adult kids; and promises they will reunite once more in the future.
Today, Avel leaves behind a very large & supportive group of family and friends spreading as far as from the Philippines to California, Washington, and Texas.
As we honor his life, and give tribute to the love and laughter he's brought us, we wish to continue to help and support the family. We ask during these hard times, that we continue to share the joy that Avel has brought to our lives.
We would like to tribute this GoFundMe to help cover any funeral expenses that may occur, but more importantly to support his wife, Malyn Santiago, and secure a future for his youngest son, Isaac Santiago, as he now has to continue a life without a father.
Rest assure, The Santiagos are a strong and supportive family. We will continue to watch over each other and be there for Malyn and Isaac, always.
Rest In Peace, Dad.
Tulog na, you've put up a good fight.
