A pall of gloom descended on the Philippine sportswriting community with the passing of one of its shining lights.

Juanito “Lito” Tacujan, sports editor excellence, wordsmith, leader, father, mentor, friend, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday at the age of 79 in Canlubang, Laguna.

He was survived by wife, Catalina, children Jose Maria Tacujan, Juan Luis Tacujan, Maria Kristina Tacujan-Ayala and Michael Roy Ayala, Karina Michaela Tacujan-Angeles and Chippy Angeles, and Samuel Julian Tacujan, and grandchildren Miguel Anton Tacujan-Ayala, Natalie Isobel F. Tacujan, Miko Joaquin Tacujan-Ayala and Audrina Hope Tacujan-Angeles.

His remains lie in state at Peace Chapel of Heaven’s Memorial Gardens in Binan. Internment is on 24 March, with viewing set from 20 to 23 March.

Tacujan oversaw the sports section of The Philippine STAR for 32 years, stamping his imprint as the paper covered some of the greatest events in sports from 1986 to 2018 in style and in a language that’s both creative and informative.

He also served as president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, sharing his leadership and expertise with colleagues, including young, aspiring sports scribes.

A graduate of University of Santo Tomas (UST), Tacujan was among the first recipients of the UST AB Gantimpala Awards in 2010, feted among the outstanding alumni of the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

In 2019, Tacujan was honored by the PSA with the Lifetime Achievement Award for sports journalism.

The maestro, who played golf with the same passion he had for sportswriting, shared his excellent work in the book “Cheers and Tears: View from the press box and other stories,” which was published in 2022.

Tacujan spent his retirement years in his beloved hometown of Canlubang, the sports hub in Laguna that nurtured his love for sports and drive for excellence in the profession.

“Growing up in a milieu of sporting excellence in a quaint little town in Laguna served as a great boost in my desire to pursue a career in journalism, particularly in sports writing,” he wrote in the book’s introduction.

“It turned out to be a career that spanned close to half a century and gave me a front row view of some of the world’s best in action with the coverage of five Olympic Games as one of the highlights.”

“A dream come true. And I had hoped that having been true to my calling, and that I had earned my niche in the platform of sportswriting as I retired in 2019 as the sports editor of The Philippine Star after 32 years. A long, amazing, sometimes excruciating journey it was.”