Ronald Perez was a family man.  Although confined to his bed for 17 years, he continued to raise his daughters and grandchildren to their own becomings.  He always made sure that his wife was happy—cooked meals, a clean house, and nothing left for her to do but relax after a long day’s work.  

 

    As a Chamorro teacher, Ronald left a mark within the hearts of his students.  He played his role as a well-liked teacher, but he was also there for his students who needed more than just that.  He taught more than the Chamorro language and students would spend their days, in his class, expressing all the things they wanted to do with their lives when it came time to enter the real world.  Ronald listened without passing judgment, yet provided continuous guidance.

 

    Ronald was a man who lived by numerous mottos and embellished those mottos into the minds of his family.  “Charity always starts at home,” he said and he lived by that motto for 62 years.  Ronald was a man of giving.  His family—immediate and extended—experienced Ronald’s charity firsthand.  When he had extra to give, he’d give it to those most in need.  If he still had more to give, he would continue to extend that even beyond the boundaries of relation.

    

    He also lived by the motto, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.”  He was a man of many words—positive words.  Even in a time of speaking, positive energy came from him.  And when only negative words could be said, he would stay silent and walk away.