Carl F. Cawaling

September 18, 1925 - March 2, 2016

Born in Manila, the Philippine Islands 1925, Carl Figueroa Cawaling was reunited in heaven with his loving wife of forty- eight years June Kennedy Cawaling on March 2, 2016. The only son of Rosa Figueroa, Carl sought a better life for himself in the post WWII United States where he landed in New York City. After staying with family, he quickly realized NYC in the wintertime was the not the place for a young Pinoy, so he headed West to San Francisco.

Needing a workable skill and not wanting to continue as a merchant marine or his career in the US Army, Carl earned an honorable discharge for his service in the Korean War, as well as his US citizenship and enrolled in classes at the College of San Mateo for barber and beauty. Making many friends who were in the barbering industry, and wanting to be his own boss, Carl struck out on his own with his Carl’s of Broadway barber shop in San Francisco.

He became a neighborhood fixture in Russian Hill by serving the community doing what he loved as a local businessman for sixty years, marrying his English sweetheart June, buying a house in San Francisco in 1965 raising a family in his adopted country, exploring the treasures of the Bay Area and beyond, and creating a comfortable life was living the American dream. True to his tenacious nature, he retired just two months ago at 90 years of age.

Carl is survived by his daughter, Stefanie Gerstbacher ( John) and a sister in the Philippines. Thank you to all the loyal friends, neighbors, clients, caregivers, Dr. Peter Remedios and his staff at Kaiser San Francisco and the Molloy Family for their loving kindness and generosity shown to Dad over these many years.

A memorial Mass will take place at Stephen’s Catholic Church Wednesday March 23 at 11AM, followed by a reception onsite at the parish hall ( Donworth Hall) located at 451 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco, CA.