Hermenegildo Benavidez Mislang, beloved husband, father, grandfather and a community leader, passed away on February 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 67 years old.

Known as Gil to many, he was the eldest son of the late Feliciano Mislang Sr. and Felicidad Benavidez Mislang. He was survived by his wife Violeta, sons Jan-Michael and Christopher Mislang, three grandchildren, mother Felicidad and six siblings.

Gil was born in his hometown of Mangatarem, province of Pangasinan, Philippines and came to the United States in the late-1950’s as his father was a serviceman in the United States Navy. In 1966, his father retired and  moved the family back to the homeland. Gill obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Far Eastern University in Manila. Gil moved back to the US in 1977, married his college sweetheart Violet in 1978, raised two kids in the City of Downey where they lived for 41 years. Last year, Gil and Violet moved to a home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gil was employed by the Dunn-Edwards Paint Corporation where he served in several capacities as Lab Technician, Quality Control Chemist, R&D Chemist, and Director of Research and New Product Development.  In 1991, he attended and completed the Executive Program in Management at UCLA’s John Anderson Graduate School of Management. While working, Gil joined the American Chemical Society of Southern California Section and served as Chair from 2004 to 2005.

In 2009, Gil was the recipient of the Sister Agnes Ann Green Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of his continued exemplary service in wide variety of leadership roles in the Section. Over the course of his career, Gil had opportunities to travel other countries such as Germany, Canada, Mexico, China, and Thailand. He often looked forward to attending the Annual Paint and Coatings Symposium, meeting colleagues in the industry, and excited to visit his favorite places to eat, such as Commander’s Palace, and Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.  

Gil participated in many Filipino-American non-profit organizations providing support with the goal of enhancing and uplifting Filipino cultures and image in addition to helping those in need. Gil got his first baptism of fire in community service by serving as the fifth president of Assn. of Mangatarem Overseas Residents (AMOR) of Southern California (1999-2000) founded by his compatriot Dan E. Nino. Thereafter, he became president of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA in 2002-2003. From then on, his community involvement rose to wider level. He served as President of the Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (Pedro), Kalayaan Incorporated, and board member of the Filipino American Service Group, Inc.  Gil also supported the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society in promoting and seeking equity, and recognizing the contributions of the Filipino World War II veterans   

Over the years, Gil’s interests ranged from outdoors activities such as playing golf, basketball, and deep-sea fishing. Although Gil and Violet moved to their new home in Las Vegas, he remained a fanatic fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Dodgers and was greatly excited when both teams won the championships in 2020. His contributions to the  upliftment and advocacies of the Filipino-American community in general will forever be remembered.  – denino1951@gmail.com