Obit: Filipino languages interpreter Marcelino Ines

Marcelino Ines, Jr., a beloved Tagalog and Ilocano interpreter in Los Angeles who was a fixture at CFI Conferences and tireless community advocate, passed away on Aug. 20 at his home in Carson surrounded by family. He had suffered a heart attack the previous month. Marcelino was 87.

 Affectionately called “the Mayor of Manila” by his some of his colleagues, he was born in Stockton, Calif., where his father was farm foreman. He and his family returned to the Philippines during the Great Depression. 

 Years later, Marcelino returned to the U.S. and enlisted in the Navy, serving for 5 years, said his wife Maria Luisa, known as Liling. They married in 1954 having first met as children in the Philippines. 

 “He liked saying ‘I’ve been married for 64 years, to the same lady’,” his wife said.

Marcelino began working as an interpreter in the late 1970s after a friend urged him to help with the growing caseload. He had worked for the Los Angeles Superior Court for about 15 years, his wife said. 

At work, Marcelino shared the plumerias grown in his garden with his colleagues. 

“Every time he came to the office he would brighten everyone’s day,” said his colleague Flavio Posse. “He was a very loved person.”

He was a regular at the CFI Continuing Education Conferences, where he always took to the dance floor with his coworkers. An avid photographer, he photographed much of the 2016 conference, and mentioned that if he wasn’t an interpreter he would be a photographer. 

He also enjoyed singing and was a member of the church choir and a choral group, said Liling Ines. Marcelino also served on various city commissions, including senior advisory, citywide advisory and parks and recreation. He was a member of the Lions Club member and instrumental in founding the Carson Sister Cities Association and the Sinaitenians of California.

Marcelino is survived by his wife; their three children Leilani, Eric and Phillip; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

Viewing and visitation is scheduled for Aug. 31 at Greenhill Memorial Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes with a service starting at 5 p.m.; funeral mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Sept. 1 at St. Philomena Catholic Church in Carson. Details available at: https://greenhillsmemorial.com/find-a-service/