In the Christian Bible, Joseph, the recognized father of Jesus, did not say a word. One of the feasts in the Catholic Church is that of "silent" Saint Joseph the Worker, who cared for and watched over the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

"Silent worker" defined Joseph Cortes, Daily Tribune opinion editor whose death on 4 October at age 53 came quietly as the day's hottest stories trickled in.

Cortes, like his holy namesake, didn't say a word while buried at work day in and out.

But when he spoke, the newsroom lightened up over his remarks — one-liners that often dripped with wit and sarcasm.

Cortes was a lifestyle writer who loved good food, good music, good movies, good places — and wrote about these subjects in a simple style.

In a piece titled "Dining solo" in his column Galaero, Cortes wrote: "The past two years might have put a damper on my resto hopping, but I just changed format. This time I went online, ordering from all these places I had no plans of going to. I took advantage of delivery services. So, from my office desk, I was able to try all these outlets offering chicken rice, Korean fried chicken, sandwiches, and spring rolls. I was also able to try all kinds of sugar-free desserts, although they were quite expensive.

"Dining solo isn't that tragic. I find that I enjoy eating alone because it allows me to focus solely on the food. Afterward, I can drag my friends to the place so that they can also try what I found delicious.
"Works out all the time."