- Date Of Birth: May 20, 1930
- Date Of Death: October 9, 2022
- State: Michigan
Hospicio Lorilla Cortes (better known as HC), age 92, of Paw Paw, Michigan, passed away on Sunday, October 9, 2022. He was born in Bicol, Philippines on May 20, 1930, the son of the late Domingo and Ana (Pastora) Cortes. He graduated from the University of the East, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration. He earned his Master of Industrial Management at the University of the Philippines. He moved his family from the Philippines to the United States in 1969. He was the first Filipino American to pass the Illinois CPA exam in 1972.
He worked for Upjohn Philippines and American Hospital Supply in Chicago. He was reunited with Upjohn International in 1972, which allowed him to settle his family in the Kalamazoo area. He was a member of the Philippine American Association of Southwest Michigan (PAASM). He was a former member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Paw Paw, where he served on the board and as Treasurer. He was a current member of St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo. HC was an avid fisherman and loved spending time on the water at his Eagle Lake home. He had a passion for golf and enjoyed golfing with fellow retired Upjohn friends, who to everyone’s amazement, witnessed HC hit a hole-in-one! His pride and joy was groundskeeping on his lake property.
HC will be fondly remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his loving wife of sixty-four years, Socorro (Zambrano) Cortes. They were united in marriage on December 14, 1958. He leaves to cherish his memory four children, Joseph Z. Cortes, Cynthia Cortes (Blake) Dilsworth, Edward Z. (Marcy) Cortes, and Ronald Z. Cortes; eight grandchildren, Cecelia, Casey, Allyson, Andrew Robert, Robert Cody, Carson Cortes, Audrey, and Jackson; one brother, Lorenzo Cortes and one sister, Antonietta Cortes. He was preceded in death by one son, Robert Z. Cortes in 1978; and two brothers, Jovencio Cortes and Domingo Cortes Jr.
