He was a friend of Micronesia who loved to sing in all its dialects and languages
Guam native son John Salas had many titles and honors to mark his 70 years. He was a former Guam senator, a founder of Guam Community College and President of the University of Guam for a number of years. On his way to academia, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. As an associate professor at UOG, he educated a younger generation on the skills needed to drive Guam’s success as a tourist destination.
Salas was a well known figure throughout the Pacific and was considered a prominent Guam friend of Micronesia.
A State Funeral at the Guam Legislature Monday attracted many Salas friends and local dignitaries including present and past governors of the island.
Gerald Perez, formerly President of Duty Free Shoppers Guam spoke at the funeral and remembered his friend Salas, who was also a colleague there.
Salas loved to sing, Perez recalled and could do so with great skill in all the languages and dialects of Micronesia. He demonstrated a little less skill at dressing in a traditional Yapese thu during a visit there.
“After a few hours of sourcing material to cover his considerable girth, John proceeded to wrap himself in this thu. However, before meeting with traditional leaders, our guide, his friend Hillary, pulled John aside and re-did his thu correctly. This was quite a relief to all of us, because we were spared the display of an anatomical feature that confirms his gender.”