Alfonso Tanjoco Lim, 91, of North Charleston, passed on to eternal rest peacefully at his home on Monday morning, October 14, 2024, with his daughter by his side, holding his hand, stroking his hair, and lovingly caressing his arm.
The relatives and friends of Alfonso Lim are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM, Friday, October 25, 2024, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 6650 Dorchester Rd, North Charleston, SC 29418. The Rite of Committal with full military honors will follow in Carolina Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, Thursday evening at the same funeral home. Flowers will be accepted, or memorial donations may be made to: A) Filipino Community Center of Charleston, 8747 Salamander Rd, North Charleston, SC 29406; B) St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 6650 Dorchester Rd, North Charleston, SC 29418; or C) American Cancer Society, 269 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401 (www.cancer.org).
Alfonso was born in Tayug, Pangasinan, Philippines, on April 10, 1933. He was the son of Juan Lim and Maxima Tanjoco Lim and was the fifth of eight siblings.
Al married his childhood sweetheart, who became his beloved wife of 58 years, Miguela “Meg" Lim, M.D. Their home was blessed with one daughter and two sons, who will greatly miss him. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of the East in Manila, Philippines, and another bachelor’s degree in accounting from LaSalle University in Chicago, Illinois.
Al proudly served his adopted country in the United States Navy, starting with boot camp in San Diego, CA, in 1955. His next duty station was at Great Lakes, IL. For deployments, he made several Western Pacific cruises on multiple destroyers out of Pearl Harbor, HI. Al’s Naval career later took their young family from his duty station at NAS Barbers Point in Honolulu, HI, to Charleston Naval Base, SC in 1966. He subsequently served aboard the submarine tender USS Orion (AS-18) and flagship of the 6th Fleet, USS Little Rock (CLG-4) in Italy. He retired from the United States Navy as a Senior Chief Petty Officer in 1974 after 19 years of service. Al then embarked on a second career spanning 22 years at Dorchester School District #2 in Summerville, SC, retiring as Director of Finance in 1996.
Al and Meg were active members of the Province of Pangasinan Association of South Carolina, especially singing in the choir performances for local nursing homes and private residences during the Christmas season and the organization’s annual Our Lady of Manaog Fiesta celebrated each May. He could be found volunteering at the annual Taste of Goose Creek church fundraiser benefiting Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and was instrumental in the 2020 construction of its grotto shrine honoring the Blessed Virgin Our Lady of Manaog.
In addition, Al was also a member of the Filipino American Association of Charleston, serving on the Board of Directors and Scholarship Committee. He was a devoted Catholic and longtime member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in North Charleston, SC, where he was also an usher and a brother in the Knights of Columbus Council #8900, 4th Degree. He served as a volunteer firefighter with the Ashley River Fire Department during the late 1970s and a volunteer tax preparer with H&R Block.
Al was resourceful man, having survived the Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands during World War II; he had to make do with whatever items were available. He could think outside the box when solving problems and repairing things around the house.
His hobbies included listening to music of his generation, such as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. His favorite TV genres were Western / Cowboy shows on the GRIT channel and Korean dramas. He was an avid supporter of Summerville High School football. He and Meg loved to don green and gold apparel to cheer on the Greenwave from the stadium bleachers.
Left to mourn his absence are his sons, Dr. Alan Lim and his wife, Eva, and Arnold Lim and his wife, Janet; daughter, Mary Alison Lim Posadas; grandchildren, Armand, Adrienne, Andrew, Arick, Cameron, Astrid and Dalton; his brothers, Juanito Lim, Jr. and Hermenegildo Lim as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and countless friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife; 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
The family would like to thank everyone for their friendship, love, support and prayers and to express heartfelt appreciation to his many doctors and nurses.
Arrangements by CAROLINA MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 7113 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, SC 29406. CarolinaMemorial.com.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIOCOMPARTA
v.1.12.1