Dr. Eusebio "Mendy" Mendoza

Mendy’s services will be livestreamed below at 1:30, Saturday, July 12, 2025

It’s with great sadness to announce that Dr. Eusebio “Mendy” Reyes Mendoza Jr. departed his earthly presence on Saturday, June 21st, 2025, at the age of 95. He was under hospice care at Bethany Senior Care in Fargo, North Dakota where he was living since spring of 2024. He left behind a legacy of grit, wisdom, creativity, and unwavering guidance.

Mendy was born in the late 1920s in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines and was the remaining child of Eusebio and Julia Mendoza’s seven children. As a teenager during World War II, Mendy experienced hardship that left a lasting impact. His calling was to care for others. After completing medical school at Manila Central University, Mendy’s sense of adventure brought him to the US in the late 1950s. He completed medical training in Colorado, was a fellow of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota, and then a resident at Minneapolis General Hospital.

It was during this time that he met his Filipina equal—Dr. Teofista Pitang “Pits” Caladiao. It was love at first sight. Mendy and Pits met and married within the same year and went on to share 34 years as dedicated partners. Pits was smitten with her Filipino Frank Sinatra. Together, the two doctors managed the challenges of parenting three young children while establishing their medical careers in an unfamiliar country.

In 1962, the doctor duo boarded a ship and returned to the Philippines with three kids in tow and one on the way. Success followed them to Manila. Mendy served as Undersecretary of Health of the Philippines while Pits worked for and traveled with the World Health Organization—all while raising their growing family.

Their American Dream persisted and in 1965 Mendy and Pits returned to the US and pioneered their immigrant life with their 6 children in Fargo, North Dakota. When asked “Why not settle somewhere warm and near the ocean?” Mendy replied, “I want to ski!” And he did—still downhill skiing with his children and grandchildren in his 80s.

Staying connected to his Filipino culture was essential while living in the Midwest. Mendy and Pits helped build a strong Filipino community in North Dakota and Minnesota and founded the Fil-Am-Min-Dak Association along with other Filipino MDs, which still thrives today. Their home was often filled with the sounds and flavors of the Philippines—boisterous gatherings included mahjong, Tinikling dancing, Filipino cuisine, and singing around the piano. Mendy loved eating foods from around the world—as long as it came with rice. He often insisted on packing the rice cooker for many family road trips and was always planning the next lechon (roast pig) for the holidays.

Dr. Mendy managed his own private practice in Fargo as an internal medicine physician for over 45 years and worked at several hospitals. Among them were St. Lukes (where he first practiced), St. Ansgar’s, St. John’s (where he served as president), and MeritCare. He also provided care for the Burlington Northern Railroad and VA hospitals, offered free medical care at a local convent, and assisted other immigrant physicians settling in Fargo. Although Mendy retired at 72, his dedication to medicine and helping others never waned. The caring staff at Bethany appreciated his “medical coaching” and he continued making his rounds to fellow residents which included “writing prescriptions”—with or without a prescription pad.

After Pits’ passing in 1992, Mendy remained in Fargo. During a trip to the Philippines, he met Greta Roque—also from Nueva Ecija—and they later married in 1996. They resided in their custom home (one of three designed by Mendy), with every detail reflecting his passions: a greenhouse for his beloved orchid collection, a dance floor for hosting parties, a built-in stereo system to fill each room of the house with music, and six garden beds that became the centerpiece of his golden years. Though they divorced in 2006, Mendy and Greta remained on friendly terms.

In addition to his six older children, Eusebio welcomed two new additions to the Mendoza clan in 1996 and 2000. Becoming a dad again—this time, a full-time one—was an unexpected adventure, one his youngest daughter often lovingly described as his “most expensive retirement project.” He embraced the role with enthusiasm and curiosity, building elaborate Rube Goldberg machines that stretched across three rooms, picking fresh lettuce and tomatoes for summer sandwiches, and learning the ukulele after a memorable family trip celebrating his middle daughter’s wedding.

The home he built became the heart of family life—a place filled with laughter, music, and community. From Filipino parties to a few Disney-themed birthdays mixed in, he was always at the center of celebration. For many holidays, the family gathered around a growing table that eventually seated well over 20 people, especially in the years when Thanksgiving fell on his birthday—an event no one wanted to miss. The house often played host to gatherings that were fitting for his larger-than-life personality, filled with music, food, and the kind of joy he brought into every room.

Mendy was a Renaissance man. He enjoyed waxing philosophical, loved a good debate, was an artist and a prolific creator. His homes were full of his paintings, welded sculptures, and clever inventions—a rotisserie from bicycle parts to a gardening stool on wheels crafted from an old office chair. He had a green thumb. His greenhouse bloomed with orchids and his gardens overflowed with vegetables and roses. Neighbors fondly remember backyard tours, evenings spent swapping stories on the patio, and the fresh-cut blooms he’d offer to anyone who needed a little beauty in their day. Mendy’s spirit of global adventure lives on in his children and grandchildren, whom he inspired with his sense of curiosity and love of exploration.

Ancient Greek philosophers didn’t write obituaries. Instead, they simply asked “Did this person have passion?” For Dr. Mendy Mendoza, the answer is: Absolutely.

Hanggang sa muli. Until next time, Dr. Mendy.

Eusebio R. Mendoza II is survived by his 7 children Elizabeth (Casey Streich), Julie (Dan Chihos), Reuben (Valerie Madison-Mendoza), Philip, Melissa (Chris Haroza), Nicole, and Franz; and 6 grandchildren Gina (Andy Dahl), Evelyn Mai Blackwood, Carter and Hadley Haroza, Fiona and Teo Mendoza; and 2 great grandchildren Julian and Kara Dahl.

He was preceded in death by his dear wife Teofista Pitang (1992), his son Eusebio Robert Mendoza III (2010), granddaughter Victoria Chihos (1988), and all six of his siblings.

Share your prayers and memories in celebration of Mendy’s life.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, July 12th at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fargo, with visitation beginning at 12:30 PM.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in the form of a check can be made out to FilAmMinDak Association and mailed to Boulger Funeral Home, 123 10th St. S, Fargo, ND 58103.

A donation can also be made online to: Doctors Without Borders https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/get-involved/ways-to-give