Short history of Jose Maria Galan BORROMEO

What follows is a newspaper article written upon the death of my maternal great-grandfather José Maria Borromeo y Galan in 1930 (translated into English by my aunt Maria Benita Borromeo Atega):

The Venerable and Respected “Pepe” Borromeo has died

Last Sunday at 7:00 AM (March 16, 1930) Mr. José Maria Borromeo y Galan of Cebu City died. He had been afflicted by a severe and sudden illness, which claimed the life of this highly respected and well-known patriarch of the city of Cebu. Mr. José Maria Borromeo y Galan was known to his friends and family by the name of “Señor Iyo Pepe.”

Iyo Pepe Borromeo was the father of the late Judge Andrés Borromeo, Captain José Ubaldo Borromeo (former Head of the Detectives of Manila Customs Bureau), Dr. Maximo Borromeo, Pharmacist Exequiel Borromeo and Engineer Canuto Octavio Borromeo.

The news of his death immediately spread throughout the entire city last Sunday. Within a few hours of his passing, countless friends and relatives converged upon the Borromeo home on North America Street. The burial took place on Monday. A Mass was offered with the body of the deceased lying in state at the Cebu Cathedral that morning. Many people attended the final rites at the Cebu Cathedral, after which they joined the funeral procession and the rites at the Roman Catholic Cemetery. We can say that the funeral service was an expression of sympathy by the Cebuano people for the entire Borromeo family.