Ruben M. Lacanienta

Ruben Moscaira Lacanienta, age 92, died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, June 8th.  

Ruben is survived by his children, Ruel (wife Pam), Elvee, Ray (wife Natalie), Rhem (husband Jim), Ranny (wife Jennifer), Rod (wife Precious), Ralph (wife Hazel), 24 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by wife Estelita, wife Priscilla, daughter Elaine and son Ruben Jr. (Jun).  

Ruben was born July 10, 1926 in Cebu City, Philippines to Eliseo Espiritu Lacanienta and Corazon Leyson Lacanienta.  He graduated as a Chemical Engineer at Adamson University and with an MBA at Ateneo de Manila.  He was the Senior VP at the Private Development Corporation of the Philippines.  He was also the co-founding Director of Enterprise Mentors International in the Philippines.  After retirement, he volunteered in the Salt Lake City temple.  

As a true pioneer of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Philippines, he and his family were baptized in 1963.  He served in a series of firsts in the Church in the Philippines: Branch President, District President, Stake President (twice), Regional Representative to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assigned to the Manila North and Northern Philippines Region, the Manila Temple Presidency, and Chaired the Manila Philippines Temple Committee  during its planning and construction.

Ruben was a WW II Veteran and was a guerilla fighter.  He was the recipient of the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. Congress as a WWII Filipino Veteran who fought side by side with American troops – the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018.

He is the author of four books reflecting his life history, memoirs, philosophies, spiritual beliefs, and historical and political views of the Philippines.  He leaves these words to his posterity and friends as wisdom to remember him by — The Santa Banana Republic: The Failed Empire of the United States of America in the Orient (2015), Esto Perpetuum: Let It Be Eternal (2016), A Passage of Words from Around the World (2017) and Amusing Thoughts of BenLac (2019), all of which can be searched online. 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 15, 2019 starting at 11 a.m. at the Mountain Point 10th Ward Chapel (348 East Manti Drive
Draper, Utah). He will be interred at the Salt Lake City Cemetery next to Estelita and Elaine following the service. 

In lieu of flowers, he wishes to have you donate and contribute to Enterprise Mentors International online at: 

https://mentorsinternational.org/ 

If you prefer not to give online, you may mail in a check to:

Mentors International
65 East Wadsworth Park Dr, Suite 207
Draper, Utah 84020