By JONAS TERRADO
June Mar Fajardo is mourning the loss of his mother Marites, the person he considers as one if not the biggest influence of his life.
A source confirmed reports from local news outlets in Cebu of the elder Fajardo’s death at a local hospital, but added that details were still sketchy.
The PBA community was quick to offer their condolences to June Mar, who is a self-confessed “Mama’s boy.”
Among those who consoled the gentle giant through social media were San Miguel Beer teammate Chris Ross, Barangay Ginebra’s Joe Devance and Alaska coach Jeffrey Cariaso.
Marites’ last public appearance came in the opening of last year’s 45th season when his son bagged his sixth consecutive PBA Most Valuable Player award.
June Mar has always considered his mom as a major reason why he avoids getting into skirmishes during games, particularly after opting not to join the fray during the infamous brawl between Gilas Pilipinas and Australia in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers back in July 2018.
The younger Fajardo cites this fact to the time when he got involved in a heated exchange with then-Rain or Shine cager Larry Rodriguez during a playoff game in 2014.
He recalled receiving an earful from his mother, who was obviously not pleased with what she saw.
Other than that, Marites has been proud of his son’s accomplishments on the court while being modest and family-oriented off of it.
