Crispin L. Catalan

Crispin L. Catalan, 99, passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at his West Reading residence. He was the husband of the late Visitacion L. Catalan.

Born in Duenas, Iloilo, Philippines, he was the son of the late Jose and Felicidad (Lapastora) Catalan. Crispin spent his early life defending his homeland as a guerilla fighter in the Philippines against the Japanese invasion in WWII for which he received commendations and medals from the Philippines Commonwealth Army and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. Following the war, he earned his high school diploma and stayed in the military until 1947 when he chose to study radio communications. This experience led him to join the United Nations where he served as a Communications Field Officer for 33 years. His time with the U.N. led him to be involved in peacekeeping efforts from Korea, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Cyprus.

Crispin is survived by his two sons, Philip L., husband of Erlinda of Union City, CA and Rudolf L., husband of Lourdes of Valley Stream, NY, three daughters, Thelma C., wife of Paul Rusack of Temecula, CA; Janet C., wife of Glenn Knoblauch of Wernersville; and Felicidad C., wife of Robert Cardinal of Reading; thirteen grandchildren: Keith, Alysha, Anna, Brian, Matthew, Kelly, Josiah, Christian, Luke, Kim, Christopher, Zachary, and Joseph, seven great-grandchildren: Anthony, Zosia, Emilia, Ethan, Charlie, Michael, and Christopher Jr., and one great-great-grandson, Anthony, Jr.

The funeral service will be held Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, West Reading with entombment at Gethsemane Cemetery to follow. The visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service. Memorial donations may be made to UNICEF USA, 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038. Condolences may be expressed at kuhnfuneralhomes.com.