 Today, I received that text that I knew was coming but I didn't want to get.
Br. Felix Masson FSC has joined our Creator.
He was our Pogi Man in Zobel. He first became our Brother when I was in Grade 5. Around 1986. He literally changed the way Zobel students saw Brothers. Prior to him, Brothers were distant authority figures whom we saw only during assemblies and big important events.
Br. Felix made everyday a big important event. He opened his office to anyone who wanted to be with a Brother. He taught us how to play cards, dominoes, triominoes. He never failed to make us smile as we would meet him in the corridors.
Br. Felix never forgot our birthdays. From Grade 5 to 4th HS, I always knew that one person outside my family would remember.
That person was Felix.
He taught me to pick up pieces of paper on the ground... he taught me how to say "My Lord and my God, my God and my All," during consecration.
He was the first person to show me how cool it really was to be a Brother.
He was the first Brother to show me how to be a Brother... even if back then, I had no desire to be one.
So, our Pogi Man, it's time for you to rest... it's time for us to let you go... we will miss you. We love you.
Ingat, Bro, pray for us.
 | Bro Felix! I saved all the stampitas he would ask us to choose on our birthdays!!! i always looked forward to his stories about the diff saints! and the diff images of Mama Mary! he made it fun, better than CL!! and he always referred to us little girls as "pretty" or "beautiful" and it always made my day back then!
this is sad sad news... :(
but he is where we all want to be... we will miss you Bro Felix!!
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 | He lived a long and good life. I'm sure he's in a better place. I wonder where my stampitas are. I can only remember the very first one I got when I was in Senior Prep. |
 | He was the only person who could tease me "Castro Bus" and get away with it. |
 | kaberto wrote on Feb 6, edited on Feb 6 unang alaala ko kay bro. felix, prep ata ako tapos sinabi ni bro. felix sa mga magulang ko "rowbert is a good boy." ahehe. di ko sukat akalain na balang araw ay magiging relihiyoso din ako tulad niya.
itaguyod ang diwa ng tapat na paglilingkod sa Diyos at sa bayan na isinabuhay ni bro. felix. mabuhay ka, bro. felix! |
 | bro.felix one best bros. and i thank 4 all the things he has done 4 us heheh |
 | No word yet on what we'll do. He died in the States kasi but I'm sure DLSU-M, DLSZ and USLS will have their own special celebrations for Felix. |
| For further updates, you may check...
www.lasallian.ph
Will be posting as I receive news but this is one of the primary sites for info on the Brothers. |
 | beautifully written arian... |
 | He would corner me every day and ask me if I was the captain of the girls sumo wrestling team!
haha..
beautiful entry, br. arian.. :) I think I'm gonna post something too :) |
 | Pogi Man was the best. He used to invite me to play with him always in USLS. He taught me much about having fun. And really having fun.
God be with you, Br.Felix. We'll miss ya.
|
 | awww! :( he was the funnest person to play cards with!!!! he knew so many games and he taught everybody everyday :) i loved his smiles!
|
 | awwww. :(
will be praying for Br.Felix... |
 | Very sad......:((
I'll pray too....gotta tell my dad. |
 | OMG! Br. Felix...i still have the prayer card with dedication he gave me (it was not even my birthday...my bestfriend and i just passed by by his office and he called us in). He will always be remembered, for being the first brother to arrive at the sibang gabi. His witty remarks that made me smile. I might just have an emotional walk at Felix Mason(yes! USLS has one) hall one of these days... |
 | i will miss you and your dominoes. Rest in peace brother Felix. |
 | I will always remember the card games he played with us during recess and the times he would give us a prayer card every time it was one of our birthdays. Rest In Peace bro.. |
 | I never really had a personal connection with him. He doesn't know my name. And he doesn't have my birthday on his book because I only became a La Sallian when I stepped on high school. One time when I saw him, he gave his warm and personal smile as if he already knew me. I smiled back thinking he won't remember me. But then, whenever I saw him again, he gave the same unfading bright smile. And it usually made my heart fuller.
His death is a really great loss to the Lasallian Family. But then I keep on thinking on a light-hearted note...He deserves Heaven after all of the work that he has done for us, for all the La Salle schools, and for this earth.
Though what he did may be as little as a smile, it made a such big gesture to my life. I'm sure he has also made his mark on the lives of many others. Rest assured, those will never be forgotten. =) |
 | =(( we miss you bro felix!!! we all love you!! :( |
 | mayey wrote on Feb 6, edited on Feb 6 I only found out tonight when my brother texted me. I was shocked to hear the news. :(( He gave me a stampita on my 15th birthday. :( I'll miss him. He was the coolest brother I've ever met! |
 | I would always remember the dominoes and card games he played with me and my friends in grade school. He would crack jokes and we would laugh along.
And I really liked his penmanship! Very Palmer's.
We'll miss you Bro Felix! |
 | At least we know he is in a happier place..Godbless you Bro Felix..Never forgot the triominoes and crazy 8s we played in the past... :,) |
 | i'll always remember his smile when we played cards and triominoes...i'll miss you bro... |
 | I was aware of Bro. Felix' failing health and knew the inevitable but reading this news still saddens me deeply. I genuinely loved Brother and treasured him as one of my dearest friends. He always made me feel special. And even when I transfered schools, we kept in touch. I would make it a point to visit him every so often. Every single time, I was met with a big warm hug.
Through the many years that passed, through different stages in my life, Bro. was a constant. And even though he transfered offices, I would see artworks I had made for him still hanging somewhere on the wall. They were amateur pieces, some already faded, but he treasured them just the same as if they were works by Michaelangelo.
Bro. Felix, I love you. Thank you for the memories. |
 | Let's just always put into our hearts and minds that he had accomplished all his assignments and has now attained God's love forever....We luv you.." pogi"..we'll miss you a lot.. bro..:-) |
 | sigh. i still have all those images he gave during my birthdays :( |
 | God rest his soul.
He was one fun-loving, wisecracking soul. I always smile when I remember him running into my friends and I and going "My, what ugly Seniors we have!"
Good times, good man, Godspeed! |
 | we miss him, and like jv said, he's worthy of assumption pa nga:(
i feel saddened with bro's death. we literally spent grade 6 beside his office, and of course, it was aircon and we played cards and it was just how we got to know him.
pogi felix el gwapito. RIP:( |
 | I remember birthdays when Br. Felix called me for the stampita, and I ended up staying longer than I originally intended just to talk to him. He was so welcoming and so ready to listen to anything and everything you wanted to say.
Let's thank the Lord for giving us Br. Felix. May he rest in peace. |
 | i remember him giving me lecture because one of the buttons of my polo came off during recess when he called me in for my stampita giving (which was rare since I had my birthday during the summer). he then asked his secretary to sew on a new one! i'm not kidding! she was soooo mad at me. :) man, that was way back in 1988.. |
 | bro arian....where was he here in the states??? |
 | "I know you! You're one of those Cabigas kids!"
For someone who communicated with literally ALL the batches in Zobel, I found it amazing how he even remembered part of my name. Sigh. Memories of Zobel wouldn't be complete without mentioning him.
Would you know how old he was? |
 | This is beautiful, Arwee. We will all miss Br. Felix, the original Mr. PogiMan. The last time I saw him was when I went to USLS with my orchestra to do a series of shows. I gave him a peck on the cheek. He will always be my favorite Brother. |
| Br. Felix was born March 6, 1919. He would've been 90 this year... |
| www.lasallian.ph
is putting together updates on Br. Felix.
Please check the site regularly. |
| arweefsc wrote on Feb 6, edited on Feb 6 BROTHER FELIX Victoris MASSON, FSC (AKA Philip Joseph Masson) was born in San Leandro, CA, on March 6, 1919, and was adopted by Joseph Masson and Phyllis Lynn. He was raised by his paternal grandparents due to the early death of his father and his mother’s return to her mother. He was a member of the De La Salle Christian Brothers for 71 years and died at Mont La Salle, Holy Family Community, Napa, California, on February 5, 2008, at 7:05 PM at the age of 88.
Brother Felix began his association with the De La Salle Christian Brothers as a freshman in the Juniorate at Mont La Salle, the high school for young men interested in becoming a Brother. He entered the Novitiate on June 8, 1937, and received the habit of the Brothers of the Christian Schools on August 14, 1937. In October, 1938, at his request and in response to an appeal for volunteers, he was assigned as a missionary to the Philippine Islands, which was the responsibility of the District of San Francisco at that time. His first assignment was to teach in the Grade School at De La Salle University in Manila. This began his commitment to the Filipino people and, except for about 8 years, he spent his entire life as a Brother and an educator in service to his students in the Philippines. Brother did return to the United States to obtain his B.A. from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA, in 1947. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the Second World War, he was in a concentration camp in Baguio, PI, where he received his final vows on April 23, 1944. In the Philippines, Brother Felix served as a teacher and counselor in various grade schools and high schools. He also served as principal at four different elementary and high schools. His last position was “Campus Animator” at the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod, PI. He was truly loved by his students and his Brothers. The short video that shows his send-off from the Philippines, for the last time, shows the recognition of a hero. In November 2006 he returned to the San Francisco District and the Holy Family Community at Mont La Salle, Napa, CA, after 62 years of service in the Philippines.
His return was due to extensive squamous cell cancer, which was arrested through radiation therapy, but from which he died at Mont La Salle, Holy Family Community on February 5, 2008.
He is survived by cousins: Mary Frances Marchetti, San Francisco, CA; Mr. and Mrs. Warren Masson, Santa Rosa, CA; Mr. and Mrs. Bradley McNear, San Raphael, CA; and Sr. Judeth Breslin, Santa Rosa, CA; Jane Wahler, Cazadero, CA; and Rosalie Mahoney , Healdsburg, CA.
He is also survived by many friends and former students, mostly in the Philippines. Funeral services will be held at Mont La Salle, Napa, California, on February 8, 2008, in the Mont La Salle Chapel at 9:00 AM with viewing, followed by the funeral liturgy at 10:00 AM and burial in the Mont La Salle cemetery. There will be a luncheon available in the Conference Center Dining Room. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Lasallian Education Fund, De La Salle Institute, 4401 Redwood Road, Napa, CA 94558. Funeral services provided through Claffey and Rota, Napa.
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 | we love you Bro. Felix...... |
 | Bro. Felix lived as a caring Lasallian brother. He's the only one from the admin who showed care for the students. So he's the only one who I don't hate. Hahaha.
You will be missed Bro. Felix. And thanks for loving us. |
| Masses in Zobel tomorrow:
8:30-10:00 -- Gr 2 & 3 -- Sylvia P. Lina Theater, CPA
9:00-10:30 -- High School -- DLSZ Gym 1
2:00-3:30 -- Gr 5 to 7 -- Sylvia P. Lina Theater, CPA
2:00-3:30 -- Gr 4 --Debbie Decena Auditorium
USLS will have the mass/es for Br. Felix on February 13, 2008
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| We're setting up a Felix tribute page in the official website of the Brothers and the Lasallian Family... I'd like to ask permission from the people who've posted here if we can use what you wrote and place it on that page...
email me at arweefsc@gmail.com if it's okay with you, along with what you want to say and your name, school and the year of your graduation (past or future)
www.lasallian.ph
|
 | I will always remember him as Brother Terminator (Batch 1992 joke?) and looked forward to his, "I have something in my bo-day-gah..." announcement during the Monday morning flag ceremony. Plus my annual birthday visit to his office where I would get my stampita and be advised that the girls' best swimming stroke was the 'breast' stroke ;) |
 | ingat bro. you'll be the gwapito of usls forever. |
 | i'd call him Bro. Gwapito at times :) he also changed my views about brothers... he was even the one who taught me how to play go fish!
may his soul rest in peace... i bet he's really happy in heaven now :) |
| my best memory of him came in the form of one line: "do you lo-lo?"
apparently, he misinterpreted it and went...haha. i miss bro felix terribly:( |
 | i remember i once gathered up all my yearbooks to see how bro.felix looked when he was younger.. prep to highschool.. he never seemed to age..
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 | i still have the stampitas i got every year on my birthday. will miss him, but may his soul rest in peace. |
 | he gave me his triominoes set when he left zobel :)
i'm gonna miss him a lot. :) |
 | jemps918 wrote on Feb 9, edited on Feb 9 i remember his room was always full of artwork his fans gave him. he introduced me to chinese burns and picking up trash even when it's not mine. i picked up memorizing people's birthdays from him. i looked forward to getting a hall pass on my birthday because i know i'd get to play triominoes with "Pogi Felix". he taught me not to take myself too seriously when he'd ask grade school me, "where's your boyfriend?" and shocked, tomboy me would reply, "huh? i don't have one!" and he'd wink and say, "no, next time, say, 'brother, which one?'" i still have the last stampita he gave me. he made being a la salle brother cool and reachable. he really made an impact on my life. i miss him, and i'm glad to have met him. :o) |
 | you'll always be remebered bro! |
 | hai miss this guy..weused to hang out sa office nya..im pretty sure he's happy up there with our creator.. |
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bro arian....where was he here in the states??? 
