ForeverMissed
Large image

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

July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
RIP Patricio. How blessed your family and friends are for having you touch their lives. You fought your battle with extraordinary courage inspiring all who knew you. I'm sure you will be watching those you love from above.
July 6, 2017
Dear Patricio, Helen, Alice, Ronald, Caroline and family,

Accept 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
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
I really looked up to him as an inspirational trade colleague, but more importantly he was a great and loyal friend. He made me feel so welcome, and an instant part of the gang when I first arrived in Hong Kong in 2003.

He was a genius at living life, and I adored him.
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
RIP Patricio! You will live on in all of our hearts! Love & light to Alice and children.
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
RIP Patricio! We celebrate your life and cherish the joyful memories you have left behind.
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
Patricio and I have various links in life. I remember very clearly an evening in October/November 1991, we bumped into each other in a in a bar in Lan Kwai Fung on a Friday Night. I had just arrived back from a visit to the Netherlands, i was there to interview for the Hotelschool in The Hague. I was in my A-levels year, you had already finished your IB at the French international school and were planning to take a year off. After we spoke you ended up applying to the Hotelschool and got in... you started in 92-1, I joined in 92-2. Throughout the years we bumped into each other. We were both Dutch, grew up in HK and were a Hotello( like Ronald and Caroline). I remember you as a most charming, warm and energetic guy who always had this twinkle in his eyes.. this love for life! It was contagious:) I wish all of the De La Fuente family and close friends all the strength in the world to be able to deal with this incredible loss. Xxx from Marlo in Amsterdam
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
So sad to hear of your passing, my deepest condolences to your family. May you rest in peace. Frenchy
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Patricio and I met at a party at Chateau Du Tertre of the family of Eric Albada Jelgersma in the bordeaux wineregion in france. We instantly liked eachother and met several times all around the world. Energetic, fun, loyal and ambitious are words I could label him with. He made All of us laugh and shared his love for Good wines with us. I will miss him dearly. My thoughts are with his wife Alice, children, family and Friends. From Reims I salute you Patricio with a Nice glass of champagne. With great respect.
Willem Kool
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Patricio and I met at a party at Chateau Du Tertre of the family of Eric Albada Jelgersma in the bordeaux wineregion in france. We instantly liked eachother and met several times all around the world. Energetic, fun, loyal and ambitious are words I could label him with. He made All of us laugh and shared his love for Good wines with us. I will miss him dearly. My thoughts are with his wife Alice, children, family and Friends. From Reims I salute you Patricio with a Nice glass of champagne. With great respect.
Willem Kool
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Even though my time knowing Patricio has not been long, but in a very short time I was able to get to see what a bright and wonderful person he is, and how he was able to positively affect the people around him.

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...
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Goodbye Patricio De La Fuente. You were the happiest most positive person that I've ever had the privilege to know! Always straight and direct. You brought a room to life with your laughter and jokes. You did so much good in the world. And you fought to the last day, always with a smile. May you rest in peace. May you look down upon us and always bring us laughter and smiles. You will always be with us.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
With fond memories on the water...and love to your family.
Farewell dear Patricio. God Bless.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Pato. Will keep our stories to myself until the kids are older. Unfortunately you won’t be able to do the same for mine. Love you brother. Thank you for the last 29 years and 10 months. You’ll be missed. Rock and Roll!
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Dear Patricio, I will never forget your generosity ,your full support and integrity. May the Lord protect you. Thank you for everything.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Patrick, I will forever remember you as the fun-loving, gregarious school mate who could always make us laugh during our time at the HK French Int'l school. RIP.
Thao
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
I only met Patricio a couple of times when he invited Mark and I to his wine events. I was known to him as 'Madeira'. From anyone else that would have annoyed me but from Patricio it just meant he actually knew where myself and Madeira wines come from! He had a lovely knowledge and passion for his work. It was an honour to have met him.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Dear cousin we will always remember you with love and we will never forget the good times we spend as a family.
Rest in peace Patricio.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Dearest Patricio, rest assured we will continue to be part of Alice's support team. We shall never be able to go past See's Candies and not think about you. Thank you for your love and friendship. 
David & Richard
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Grand Hyatt has lost one of it's nicest and kindest caller. You have never change from the day I met you at GH. Even before your passing, you never failed to say, "Grace...Patrick" whenever you call. Thank you for being so kind. May God bless your soul and may those you left behind find peace knowing you are now in God's loving arms.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Dear Patricio, what an incredibly sad day after 18 months of fighting with courage...I will always remember you as a great friend and Hong Kong industry buddy...we have shared great moments together. We will be missing such an amazing character, what an energy, what a drive and passion. And at the same time so caring and down to earth. Rest in peace my friend!! Wish all the strength and courage to Alice, your children, Ronald and all your family. Boris
July 5, 2017
My deepest condolences to the Family of my cousin Pato, his parents, brothers, wife and children.
From Chile we will accompany you with our prayer and with the affection of the De La Fuente Family.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
RIP Patricio from Australia. Valued our time working on Stolichnaya Vodka together. Always a good man! Sincere Condolences to your family.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Dear Patrick we may have not met in a long long time but will always remember you as a fun loving person in school . My deepest condolences to the dear family .
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Thank you for all what you have done Patricio. What you did in HK will never be forgotten! As specialist as professional and most of all your spirit towards life!!!
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
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
I met Pato first in 1995 and eventually we ended up in similar roles; he at JJ's at Grand Hyatt and I at Club Shanghai at The Regent. While I worked in various HK hotels, Pato built his business and we saw each other often. When I joined HK Parkview to work with his father-in-law, that contact became more regular, which was fantastic. Plenty of memories of laughter, wines and great conversations. I never met an individual who was so approachable, positive, driven and who inspired so many people. It really is quite amazing when you think about that. Like me, I am sure that there are many people who looked at Pato thinking 'I wish I had a bit more of his traits' one way or the other. What a terrific and lovely, lovely guy he was. I am incredible sorry for the de la Fuente Saez and Wong families to have lost him so soon. I, too, will get on a plane tomorrow to return to HK to say good-bye to the man that has been such an inspiration to so many.
July 5, 2017
Steve Braunstein
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.
July 5, 2017
July 5, 2017
Missing you already Cuz. Thank you for being such an blessing in our lives. Rest in Peace.
Page 1 of 2

Leave a Tribute

Light a Candle
Lay a Flower
Leave a Note
 
Recent Tributes
November 8, 2022
November 8, 2022
I am imagining what craziness you would have planned for today.

Happy half a century old brother.

Rock & Roll.
Recent stories

Living life to the full !

July 4, 2019

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 ...!

November 8, 2018

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!!!

July 7, 2017

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)

Invite others to Patricio's website:

Invite by email

Post to your timeline