After nearly three decades as mayor of Mangilao, Nonito Blas left a lasting mark on his village and the island. On Monday, those who knew him best reflected on the life, legacy, and values he leaves behind.

Blas served as mayor of Mangilao for seven terms – totaling 28 years. He passed away at 89 years old. On Monday at his state funeral held at the Guam Congress Building, family, friends, and colleagues came together to celebrate and honor a life of service.

Born on June 25, 1936, he was raised in Asan as the eldest of 17 children – guided by the values of faith, family, unity, respect for elders, compassion for others, and service to community.

Blas later made the difficult decision to leave school after the ninth grade in order to enter the workforce to help support his family and care for his siblings.

Presenting Resolution No. 187-38 in his honor, Senator Sabrina Salas Matanane, who said, "His willingness to sacrifice his own educational pursuits for the well-being of his family reflected his deep sense of responsibility and commitment to those he loved."

In 1957, Blas enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served his country for 24 years – including two combat tours during the Vietnam War.

And in 1963, Blas married Marcella Doring Blas – starting a family of their own and continuing to instill the principles of integrity, humility, compassion, hard work, and dedication to community.

Following his retirement from military service in 1980, Blas joined the Small Business Administration to assist our island's entrepreneurs in establishing and growing their businesses, while supporting economic recovery efforts through disaster loan programs.

He later worked in the Superior Court of Guam's Alternative Sentencing Program. Then in 1987, Governor Joseph Ada appointed him as commissioner, later renamed as mayor, of the village of Mangilao.

Each election cycle that followed since, he was re-elected until he announced his retirement from public office 10 years ago.

Former Governor of Guam, Carl Gutierrez, delivered the eulogy, recalling their time as children, working a newspaper route together to provide for their families. "I was very, very proud to tell everybody in the world that my very first job was all thanks to Nito Blas. And I have never forgotten the opportunity he gave me," he said.

Gutierrez also reflected on the type of leader Blas was – humble, hard-working, sleeves rolled up, building whatever his community needed with his own two hands. "He believed that leadership meant being on the scene," he shared.

"Nito never made excuses and until the day he retired, he never rested. Just get it done. And that he did. From his youth to his twilight years, Nito never abandoned that core mindset of our generation, which was to carry out what was expected of him by his family and by those who depended on him. So today we honor a life lived in service, laughter and love. Mangilao is forever shaped by his hands and his heart," said Gutuerrez.

Through decades of public service, Nonito Blas became more than a mayor to many in Mangilao – he became a constant presence, a helping hand, and a leader who believed in showing up for his community.

His legacy now lives on in his family, in the village he helped shape, and in the generations of people he served along the way.