Dr. Marcelito C. Custodio; 75
Dr. Marcelito “Mars” C. Custodio of Manhattan, New York; Hopatcong, New Jersey; and Manila, Philippines, passed away on November 2, 2017, with his loving family at his side. He was 75.
Born in the Philippines in 1942, he finished secondary schooling at De La Salle and completed college and medical school at the University of the Philippines. He immigrated to the United States in 1969 and continued his medical training at St. Barnabas and Newark Beth Israel Medical Centers in New Jersey and MD Anderson Medical Center in Texas.
Board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, he started his practice in New Jersey and was Chief of Oncology at Christ Hospital and Irvington General Hospital in New Jersey for many years. He was loved by his patients, respected by his colleagues, and received numerous accolades and recognitions for his medical and humanitarian achievements.
Retiring in 2002 at age 60 to start the next phase of his life, he pursued his art and supported various causes—serving on the boards of Ma-Yi Theater Company, Apicha Community Health Center (formerly the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS), and Society of Philippine American Artists. He joined medical missions through the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA), providing medical care to underserved rural areas in the Philippines.
He is survived by his wife Cora; his children Christian and his wife Andrea; Victoria and her husband Randy; Paolo and his wife Yvanna; and his grandchildren Carson, Robbie, Olivia, and Jonas.
The wake will be held at The Church of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan on Saturday, November 11, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. and a funeral mass will follow at 10:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Mars to Ma-Yi Theater Company, Apicha Community Health Center, or Society of Philippine American Artists.
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