Jesus Colendrino Vinluan

Jesus Colendrino Vinluan passed away on Aug. 28, 2022, at Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, VA, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 83. “Jess,” as he was called by family and friends, was born on April 12, 1939, in Binmaley, in the province of Pangasinan in the Philippines, to Rosalina Colendrino Vinluan and Hernando Vinluan. He was an altar boy in his youth and for a time considered becoming a priest. He chose another path of service, studying medicine at the University of Santo Tomas, graduating in 1963. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1964, and completed a medical internship in Easton, PA, in 1965. Afterward, he completed an orthopedic surgical residency in Erie, PA. In 1969 Jess moved to Rhode Island, where he worked at the Rhode Island Medical Center. He shared a house in North Providence with several cousins, some of whom remember him teaching them how to drive in a supermarket parking lot. Jess lived in North Providence until 1972, when he married Andrea Garces. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past July. In 1975, Jess started his own medical practice. As an orthopedic surgeon, he put patients at ease with a calming demeanor and quiet sense of humor (which is another way of saying he was expert in the art of the “dad joke”). Many of his patients continued to stay in touch with him long after they recovered. Jess spent his entire career practicing in Warwick, RI, until retiring in 2000. Jess and Andrea moved to Haymarket, VA, in 2006. Jess’s favorite television show was Jeopardy!, and watching the program with his family was an after-dinner ritual. His other interests included swimming, biking, power-walking, and basketball. Jess had an unorthodox jump shot, but that did not stop him from supporting the Boston Celtics. Jess and Andrea together took up ballroom dancing and they were also avid gardeners. Years ago, a neighbor commented on the flowers planted around the Vinluan home and asked Jess for the name of the landscaper. “We did it,” he said proudly. Jess was preceded in death by his three brothers: Gavino, Jose, and Rosalino. Besides his wife, Andrea, he is survived by three children: Frank of Raleigh, NC; Regina of Gainesville, VA; and Jessica and her husband, Jonathan Litchfield, of London, England. A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 8 at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, 8213 Linton Hall Rd., Gainesville, VA. In lieu of flowers, a tribute gift may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Jesus Colendrino Vinluan

April 12, 1939 - August 28, 2022