A funeral mass was performed Dec. 8 at St. Nicholas Church for Vivencio Austero y Camato, 87. He died on Dec. 5. He lived in Jersey City for over 30 years and retired as a State of New Jersey Medicaid Auditor. He was a lawyer-CPA, and a senior National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent before coming to the United States of America in 1974 before martial law was declared by the former Philippine president. He was a student of many universities, having studied at Indiana University in Bloomington, University of California at Berkeley Heights, Rutgers State University at Newark, the University of the Philippines Advance Management Courses, the Far Eastern University, Ateneo de Manila School of Law, and MLQ University School of Law.

He passed the CPA exam in 1950 and the legal bar in 1953, both on first take. He joined the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippines, in 1951. He was the only lawyer-CPA in the force at that time. He was promoted to a Senior Agent after being wounded in action in a frontal gun fight with ‘grease gang’ members in San Juan, Rizal, Philippines. He got a spot promotion. He was married to Lydia Remedios Crisostomo Austero, MD, PhD, Diplomate. He is survived by his children, Rossana Austero Vales and her husband, Manuel Vales and their five children: Cecilia AusteroAlvarez and her husband, Manuel Alvarez and their seven children Michael Austero; Vivencio Austero, Jr. and his wife Marcia Latham Austero and their 3 children: Generosa Austero; John Patrick Austero, and Paz Cleotilde Austero Cunning and her husband Brendan Cunning and their two children. Services arranged by the Riotto Funeral Home, Jersey City.