SOCIAL SET

Celebrating the ‘Great Gerry’

Agile Zamora

We relived the roaring ‘20s to celebrate Gerry Lane’s remarkable 80th birthday. Our beloved Irish gentleman marked the milestone with 100 guests — family, friends and colleagues. Some even flew in from as far as Sydney, Ireland, Japan and Germany!

That demonstrates the incredible impact Gerry has had over the past eight decades. People crossed oceans for him. And, as the celebration made clear, his life has truly been one of vision, adventure and integrity.

Everyone came dressed to the nines in glamorous outfits befitting the Great Gatsby theme — tassels, glitter, sparkling jewelry, dapper hats and more. It all complemented the impeccably decorated venue at Manila House.

Virginia and Gerry Lane.
Dan Daniel, Mika Mimi Tanaka and Isabel Calvo.
THE columnist and Lady Dewi Sukarno.
David Jacob, Amanda Griffin Jacob and Ferdi Salvador.
Dr. Betsy and Ivan Kazemi.

I was lucky to be seated with good friends — we called ourselves the “fun table!” Over five delicious courses, we enjoyed excellent conversation to match. There were also many heartfelt moments throughout the evening, especially during the moving speeches delivered by Gerry’s loved ones.

A special highlight was the unveiling of a coffee table book in Gerry’s honor, titled Short Stories — a collection of personal memories that only begin to capture the depth and richness of an extraordinary life. It was truly beautiful.

Rupert Jacinto and Happy Melendres.
Ambassador of Austria Johann Brieger, Amelia Ablaza, Angola Consul Helen Ong and Mme. Roswitha Brieger.
Verena Klein Gerard Aidan aka Dwad Lane Elle Ada Lane Peter Klein.
Chichi Laperal, Jun Ablaza and Czarina Ablaza-Syquia.
Bobby Alvarez, Ambassador of Malaysia Melvin Castelino, Ambassador of Turkey Evan Akyol and Charlie Rufino.

All in all, the night was as fabulous as it was fun. Huge congratulations to our dear friend Virginia Lane for pulling off such a roaring success of a party! Thank you for having me. Cheers!