Thomas Morada Alves

Passed away peacefully of natural causes and surrounded by his loving family on February 28, 2026, in Elk Grove, CA. He was 87 years old. Tom was born on December 21, 1938, to Pia Morada Alves and Dionisio Alves in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, the fifth of ten children. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Law School, he came to the United States via New York City in 1969 with his late former wife, Leticia “Letty” Alger Alves, and moved to Sacramento, CA, in 1972 to care for his uncle, Terry Alias, then became a lifetime resident of Sacramento for 54 years, several of those decades with his devoted present wife, Lourdes “Lori” Cabello Alves.

A fiercely intelligent man with a deep sense of justice and economic selfreliance, Tom initially worked at the Wollerstein & Futoran Law Office in Brooklyn, NY, and was for several years the Deputy Director of SFACC, a Filipino American community organization in Sacramento, then served as an Insurance Risk Analyst for the State of California for over 20 years before retiring. A voracious reader of historical biographies and political memoirs, a fan of action-thriller and American mafia films, and a coffee aficionado (black, extra hot), Tom was also a lifelong athlete. In the Philippines, he played shooting guard on his local high school and college teams in Vigan and, in the U.S., continued to play well into his 50s in regular pickup games at neighborhood parks and in leagues at Sacramento’s Jose Rizal Community Center. His favorite basketball players were Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Russell, and his favorite teams were the New York Knicks and then, Sacramento Kings. He was also a professional-grade cyclist, shifting more seriously into the sport around 1989, and entered and won many regional races all the way into his 80s. His favorite cyclists were Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong and he loved watching the Tour de France. Tom also enjoyed simple pleasures in retirement, such as going out for daily lunches (local Elk Grove spots Nathan’s Chinese Cuisine, the Old Spaghetti Factory, and Osaka Sushi were particular faves), gardening, and maintaining his backyard koi pond. His independent spirit and zest for a sporting life as well his presence as a thoughtful, disciplined, and deeply devoted husband,father, brother, and grandfather who valued family above all else will be sorely missed.

Tom is survived by his wife, Lori, their daughter, Marites, and their son, Thomas, Jr. (“TJ”) as well as their son-in-law, Elmer Rivera, and their grandsons, Eduardo, Tomás, and Samuel, their daughter-in-law, Kimberly Alves, and their granddaughters, Taryn and Kaydence; by his daughters from his first marriage, Anna, Michelle, and Lisa, and his grandsons, Christian,  Jonathan, and Brendan Buenaventura; by his sister, Lilia Garcia, and her sons and his nephews, Justin and Shaun Garcia, his brother, Maximo, and his sons and Tom’s nephews, Darwin and Dennis Alves, and his brother Alfredo, and his sons and Tom’s nephews, Andrew and Alex Alves, as well as many more relatives, great-nephews and great-nieces, and parés.

A viewing and rosary will be held March 19 at 5:00 P.M. at EAST LAWN ELK GROVE MEMORIAL PARK AND MORTUARY, 9189 E. Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove. Mass will be held March 20 at 11:00 A.M. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 9539 Racquet Court, Elk Grove, with burial to follow at East Lawn Elk Grove Mortuary.

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