This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Patricio Cristian de la Fuente Saez, 44, born on November 8, 1972 and passed away on July 4, 2017. We will remember him forever.
Patricio Christian de la Fuente, son, father, brother and husband extraordinaire and wine aficionado left us today on July 4th, 2017 in his beloved Hong Kong. Since very early on, Patricio was a passionate young man, with a strong and unbreakable love for his family and friends and an amazing drive to excel in the wine industry in Hong Kong and surrounding countries.
Outside of his passion for the food and beverage industry, Patricio was the most sociable, loyal and charitable person his family and friends knew. Patricio dedicated himself to improving the lives of those around him - family, friends and even strangers, no request was too big. In his 44 years on this planet, he lived a multiple of lifetimes and up to the moment of his passing, he grinned, smiled and took the challenge ahead as only he would. His family and friends know exactly what we mean. He may have left this world too early, but made an everlasting mark.
Patricio leaves behind parents, brother, sister, the love of his life, Alice and their three beautiful children, Patito, Isabella and Celina (Bao Bao), who have become the perfect blend of what he and Alice stood for. A wine guy in every cell of his being.
"Through Love all that is bitter will be sweet,
Through Love all that is copper will be gold,
Through Love all dregs will become wine,
Through Love all pain will turn to medicine.”
Rumi
Tributes
Leave a tributeAccept our deepest sympathy and condolences for the passing away of Pato, our very good and cheerfull friend for 20 years! From the moment we met Pato, shortly after the hand over of HK it felt as part of the family and we closed him and you Patricio and Helen in our heart's. This has been the case until now and will be like that for ever! We feel privileged to have known him and have seen him being so succesfull in his private life with Alice and 3 beautiful kids but also in his wine business!! Pato is one of the most warm and caring persons we know always sharing and with a great sense of humour!! A very special person to us but also to our kids who were also all fond of him!!
It must have been heartbreaking for you all to wittness his fight to survive over the last one and a half year and keep the spirits up!!Patricio, Helen and Alice and kids being so close for so long through the process in HK. We had many telcalls all the way and sharing so many emotional moments in which you both Patricio and Helen stood so strong always spotting light at the end of the tunnel, even when the process turned out to be irreversible! I admire your strengths which helped Pato so much and brought him back on his feet. I admire Pato for his inner strenghts and fighting spirit and keeping his sense of humour!!
Now you have to say goodbye to your son, brother, husband and father!! with a constant feeling: "It is not fair!!!!" I wish you, also on behalf of Edith lots of strengths and positive energy in the coming time!
Houd je Haaks!!!
Very very best regard and an Abrazo Fuerte,
Edith and Jochum Haakma
He was a genius at living life, and I adored him.
Willem Kool
Willem Kool
Thanks for being such a wonderful friend Patricio, and also in your own words, "being the biggest Shrek fan in the world!"
You will be missed...
Farewell dear Patricio. God Bless.
Thao
Rest in peace Patricio.
David & Richard
From Chile we will accompany you with our prayer and with the affection of the De La Fuente Family.
Thank you to have been such an amazing friend!
God as certainly better wines today and a great partner to drink with a smile.
RIP
I had the privilege of helping take care of Patricio when he was first diagnosed a year and a half ago. Although I only met him in sickness, it was clear that he was a brilliant, strong, and kind father, brother, husband, and friend to so many people. I have followed his journey on Posthope and have seen that he continued to fight and touch the lives of so many, inspiring all with his fighting spirit and stoicism. He was also so very fortunate to have tremendous support from family and friends throughout this difficulty phase of his journey. The love and support that he had so generously offered early in his life was paid back several fold and I'm sure he was so very appreciative. I offer sincere condolences to his family and hope that all that knew Patricio will share some of his spirit and joy for life in their journeys.
Leave a Tribute
Happy half a century old brother.
Rock & Roll.
Please be patient.
Living life to the full !
At the earlier stages of his illness Patricio had to follow a strict diet and that meant excluding anything with sugar. For a gourmet like him that certainly made eating less fun! One of the things he said he had a crazing for was satay sauce and that contains tons of sugar. And he missed chocolates....!
I set out to make Patricio a homemade satay sauce the traditional way: freshly roasted peanuts and spices grounded using a stone mortar & pestle, and instead of sugar substituted stevia, a sugar substitute made from a South American plant. Apparently it was a hit! And I had another surprise for Patricio - sugar free chocolate coated almonds from Sees Candies in Landmark. That was an even bigger hit - I think Patricio went looking for more immediately!
I am forever grateful I was able to make a tiny difference for Patricio at that time. Sadly I cannot see another box of Sees sugar-free almond these days without being overwhelmed by a sense of loss for our dear friend. RIP Patricio. Forever missed indeed.
Alway time for someone however small ...!
July 2010 Bordeaux, we were lucky enough to join Patricio and his merry team on a tour of some of the magnificent vinyards. Amongst the invited guests were a mainland chinese couple and their young son. And of course knowing the Links Concept team there was A LOT of drinking involved! One early morning from my bedroom window I was surprised to see a runner sprinting up from the valley towards the chateau - it was Patricio who was completing his morning run (AFTER a very inebriated night before)! But what was even more impressive was the fact Patricio knew that the little chinese boy would be like a fish out of water amongst the boisterous and loud grown-ups. He took time to swim with the boy in the chateau's pool because the boys' parents couldn't swim with him.
We shall forever miss you Patricio for your warmth, humour, passion, friendship and most of all boundless humanity.
Pistachio!!!
Around 23 years ago I came to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong to create their New Years Eve Ball. This was my second time doing this event. As an artist/designer/painter I would cover whole ballrooms in my huge paintings for various themed gala events. During this time I lived in Houston Texas where I painted for all the big balls of Texas.
So here I come again for the second time to create a circus themed event. The first morning there we had a meeting and I was presented with an intern to be my assistant to help set up a painting studio and also act as a liaison between myself and the Grand Hyatt Corporation.
At this meeting someone says “here is your assistant” and I look up to see Patricio de la Fuente Saez. There stood a beyond handsome young guy with a huge beaming smile. He instantly charmed me with his quick wit and confident assurance that he was a super cool guy who would be there for me every step of the way. It was love at first sight! How could you not... From that moment on I would joke with him “what’s your name again?…Pistachio? And for the rest of the trip he would put up with me calling him that.
As I got to know Patrick I confessed that I was a gay guy and that I was 18 years older then him. This never stopped him from showing me such love and caring that went way beyond his duties as my 21 yr old assistant. I shared the fact that I was moving to New York soon after I returned to Houston and he was welcome to come and visit me there.
Not only would he help me all day…. but he would take us out at night to experience all that Hong Kong had to offer. I met his wonderful Parents and Ronaldo and Caroline and was extremely impressed how loving and caring this whole family was. After working together for a month we became the best of friends.
Once back in Texas I packed up my studio, shaved my head and headed for New York City. My friends had rented the whole top floor of a building that housed one of the most notorious night clubs in the world called SoundFactory. We divided up 14,000 sq ft into huge loft spaces. My friends were a mix of artists, fashion designers, photographers etc. A crazy electic bunch of misfits.
That summer of "95 Patrick made plans to visit NYC and this news could not have made me happier. During his visit we hit all the hottest clubs and went to all the weirdest themed restaurants we could find. We rollerbladed in Central Park and explored the city to the point of exhaustion. In our free time would visit my friends in all the various lofts on our floor and they too fell in love with this crazy delightful dutch/chilean boy from Hong Kong.
Later that year I was back in H"K" for a “Fantasia” themed event and again Patrick who was now part of the Grand Hyatt Team was my loyal assistant. Again, Pistachio was the best host ever. For a month we would work all day, ate almost every meal together, then at night go to parties and dance clubs, spent Christmas with his family, visited the big buddah, , we were deep in the throes of a good old fashioned bromance.
The next year Patrick had transferred to the Grand Hyatt in Jakarta Indonesia. He scheduled a trip for me there in the summer to sell myself as the premier event guy and we put together a deal which turned out to be one of the biggest projects I had ever pulled off. We again hung out all over Jakarta. It was a truly magical experience provided by my best buddy.
That year I painted for both Hong Kong and Indonesia’s New Year’s Eve events so I did the work in my studio in New York and shipped it to both countries. I then flew to Indonesia to get everything set and confer with Patrick. I then had to fly to Hong Kong for their event. Patrick made sure all my decor went up seamlessly as well as photo documenting everything. After the event in Hong Kong was over I immediately flew back to Indonesia to hang with my most fantastic friend. We went to clubs with members of the Australian mafia, visited the home of one of the then royal family, hung out by the pool….and again had one of the most memorable times of my life. I did not know it then…but this would be the last time I would see Patricio in person.
After years of working with the Hyatt and their brand of cut-throat management we parted ways.
Over time I would keep in touch with Patrick by email and phone calls. He and Ronaldo both would keep me informed of their great endeavors and I was proud and happy for both of them. Patrick told me of his love for Alice and sent me the link to see all the wedding photos. He told me about what a great joy his children brought him ….although they made his apartment messy.
I was always hoping somehow we would either meet up again in New York or Hong Kong….but it was never meant to be. The news of his illness was devastating. During this time Patrick and I talked a few times on Facebook and I could see how the illness was taking its tole. Thank you so much….Ron and Caroline for the updates….they helped more then you will ever know.
In my life I have never met anyone who was more a true and finer GENTLEMAN in every sense of the word….then Patricio Cristian de la Fuente Saez. His humor kindness and compassion are unsurpassed. His devotion to family and friends and unbridled joy of life made knowing him a gift that I will cherish forever. I could have written a whole book here about all the great wonderful fun moments in time we shared. It is through tons of smiling tears that I write this. I will miss you always my dear sweet friend and coolest dude ever...Pistachio. (i have posted many pics of our journey in the photo section)