Married Irene Emma Lohr Little June 10, 1943 in CA
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Monday, August 16, 1976
The Man Who Talks to Presidents by Don Tewkesbury
Sixto Carganilla, who was 72 this month, will begin his 30th year next month as the man who answers the calls of presidents and movie stars at the Olympic Hotel.
Since 1947, Carganilla has served former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon and a long roster of other illustrious Olympic guests, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Phil Harris, Danny Kaye, Liberace, Joan Crawford and Joan Bennett.
Secret Service employees have come to know Carganilla over the years and they allow the veteran room service employee to personally wait on presidents who visit the hotel.
John F. Kennedy remains his favorite.
"Kennedy was the most friendly, possibly because he was in the service and he knew I was in the service. He was wonderful. I love that man," said Carganilla, who is proud of his years as an Army master sergeant during World War II.
There is also an enthusiastic friendship between Carganilla and towering movie actor John Wayne, whose standard procedure is to boisterously hug the short room service employee at the beginning of each of Wayne's frequent visits to this area.
"Everytime (sic) he does that, I'm kissing his navel," Carganilla laughs.
"I guess I'm assigned to serve many of the hotel's most important guests because I'm the most experienced and they possibly think I'm the most trustworthy because of my military experience."
He's given up the idea of retiring after trying it once five years ago and finding it boring.
"I just sat around the house. It was bad," he concluded.
Carganilla was born in the Philippines and his working career dates back to the 1920s, when he moved to California and was employed on fishing boats going to Alaska.
In the early 1930s, he was hired as a Chauffeur by a young new movie star named James Cagney.
He also was employed for 10 years as a steward at Seattle's Roosevelt Hotel prior to the outbreak of World War II, when Japanese occupation forces killed his father, who was the mayor of a town in the Philippines.
Carganilla joined the Army and was assigned to be an instructor in jungle warfare.
He became enamored with a Marysville, Calif. drug store cashier named Irene, bought every valentine in the store, signed them "to Irene," and presented them to her on the spot. They have now been married 33 years.
Carganilla studied to be an aeronautical engineer but was dissatisfied with his job at the Boeing Co. here immediately after the war.
He told Olympic Hotel manager Thomas Gildersleve, who started Carganilla on his long and mutually rewarding career with the Olympic.
"Since then I've worked for five managers, and they've all been nice fellows who treated me like a king," Carganilla said.
He has been absent from his job for only two weeks, recovering from an operation, during his 30 years with the Olympic.
Carganilla now works nights, which is not the busiest time, but requires the experience to handle more "dignified" requests, as well as all kinds of orders for food and beverages from people from society's top, middle and bottom levels, he explained.
He said doctors and nurses often are among the poorest tippers, while a convention of lumbermen produced some of the best tips.
As a former American Legion officer, Carginalla is looking forward to this month's national Legionnaires convention here. They also are good tippers, he said.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Monday, August 16, 1976
The Man Who Talks to Presidents by Don Tewkesbury
Sixto Carganilla, who was 72 this month, will begin his 30th year next month as the man who answers the calls of presidents and movie stars at the Olympic Hotel.
Since 1947, Carganilla has served former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon and a long roster of other illustrious Olympic guests, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Phil Harris, Danny Kaye, Liberace, Joan Crawford and Joan Bennett.
Secret Service employees have come to know Carganilla over the years and they allow the veteran room service employee to personally wait on presidents who visit the hotel.
John F. Kennedy remains his favorite.
"Kennedy was the most friendly, possibly because he was in the service and he knew I was in the service. He was wonderful. I love that man," said Carganilla, who is proud of his years as an Army master sergeant during World War II.
There is also an enthusiastic friendship between Carganilla and towering movie actor John Wayne, whose standard procedure is to boisterously hug the short room service employee at the beginning of each of Wayne's frequent visits to this area.
"Everytime (sic) he does that, I'm kissing his navel," Carganilla laughs.
"I guess I'm assigned to serve many of the hotel's most important guests because I'm the most experienced and they possibly think I'm the most trustworthy because of my military experience."
He's given up the idea of retiring after trying it once five years ago and finding it boring.
"I just sat around the house. It was bad," he concluded.
Carganilla was born in the Philippines and his working career dates back to the 1920s, when he moved to California and was employed on fishing boats going to Alaska.
In the early 1930s, he was hired as a Chauffeur by a young new movie star named James Cagney.
He also was employed for 10 years as a steward at Seattle's Roosevelt Hotel prior to the outbreak of World War II, when Japanese occupation forces killed his father, who was the mayor of a town in the Philippines.
Carganilla joined the Army and was assigned to be an instructor in jungle warfare.
He became enamored with a Marysville, Calif. drug store cashier named Irene, bought every valentine in the store, signed them "to Irene," and presented them to her on the spot. They have now been married 33 years.
Carganilla studied to be an aeronautical engineer but was dissatisfied with his job at the Boeing Co. here immediately after the war.
He told Olympic Hotel manager Thomas Gildersleve, who started Carganilla on his long and mutually rewarding career with the Olympic.
"Since then I've worked for five managers, and they've all been nice fellows who treated me like a king," Carganilla said.
He has been absent from his job for only two weeks, recovering from an operation, during his 30 years with the Olympic.
Carganilla now works nights, which is not the busiest time, but requires the experience to handle more "dignified" requests, as well as all kinds of orders for food and beverages from people from society's top, middle and bottom levels, he explained.
He said doctors and nurses often are among the poorest tippers, while a convention of lumbermen produced some of the best tips.
As a former American Legion officer, Carginalla is looking forward to this month's national Legionnaires convention here. They also are good tippers, he said.
Married Irene Emma Lohr Little June 10, 1943 in CA
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Monday, August 16, 1976
The Man Who Talks to Presidents by Don Tewkesbury
Sixto Carganilla, who was 72 this month, will begin his 30th year next month as the man who answers the calls of presidents and movie stars at the Olympic Hotel.
Since 1947, Carganilla has served former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon and a long roster of other illustrious Olympic guests, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Phil Harris, Danny Kaye, Liberace, Joan Crawford and Joan Bennett.
Secret Service employees have come to know Carganilla over the years and they allow the veteran room service employee to personally wait on presidents who visit the hotel.
John F. Kennedy remains his favorite.
"Kennedy was the most friendly, possibly because he was in the service and he knew I was in the service. He was wonderful. I love that man," said Carganilla, who is proud of his years as an Army master sergeant during World War II.
There is also an enthusiastic friendship between Carganilla and towering movie actor John Wayne, whose standard procedure is to boisterously hug the short room service employee at the beginning of each of Wayne's frequent visits to this area.
"Everytime (sic) he does that, I'm kissing his navel," Carganilla laughs.
"I guess I'm assigned to serve many of the hotel's most important guests because I'm the most experienced and they possibly think I'm the most trustworthy because of my military experience."
He's given up the idea of retiring after trying it once five years ago and finding it boring.
"I just sat around the house. It was bad," he concluded.
Carganilla was born in the Philippines and his working career dates back to the 1920s, when he moved to California and was employed on fishing boats going to Alaska.
In the early 1930s, he was hired as a Chauffeur by a young new movie star named James Cagney.
He also was employed for 10 years as a steward at Seattle's Roosevelt Hotel prior to the outbreak of World War II, when Japanese occupation forces killed his father, who was the mayor of a town in the Philippines.
Carganilla joined the Army and was assigned to be an instructor in jungle warfare.
He became enamored with a Marysville, Calif. drug store cashier named Irene, bought every valentine in the store, signed them "to Irene," and presented them to her on the spot. They have now been married 33 years.
Carganilla studied to be an aeronautical engineer but was dissatisfied with his job at the Boeing Co. here immediately after the war.
He told Olympic Hotel manager Thomas Gildersleve, who started Carganilla on his long and mutually rewarding career with the Olympic.
"Since then I've worked for five managers, and they've all been nice fellows who treated me like a king," Carganilla said.
He has been absent from his job for only two weeks, recovering from an operation, during his 30 years with the Olympic.
Carganilla now works nights, which is not the busiest time, but requires the experience to handle more "dignified" requests, as well as all kinds of orders for food and beverages from people from society's top, middle and bottom levels, he explained.
He said doctors and nurses often are among the poorest tippers, while a convention of lumbermen produced some of the best tips.
As a former American Legion officer, Carginalla is looking forward to this month's national Legionnaires convention here. They also are good tippers, he said.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Monday, August 16, 1976
The Man Who Talks to Presidents by Don Tewkesbury
Sixto Carganilla, who was 72 this month, will begin his 30th year next month as the man who answers the calls of presidents and movie stars at the Olympic Hotel.
Since 1947, Carganilla has served former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon and a long roster of other illustrious Olympic guests, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Phil Harris, Danny Kaye, Liberace, Joan Crawford and Joan Bennett.
Secret Service employees have come to know Carganilla over the years and they allow the veteran room service employee to personally wait on presidents who visit the hotel.
John F. Kennedy remains his favorite.
"Kennedy was the most friendly, possibly because he was in the service and he knew I was in the service. He was wonderful. I love that man," said Carganilla, who is proud of his years as an Army master sergeant during World War II.
There is also an enthusiastic friendship between Carganilla and towering movie actor John Wayne, whose standard procedure is to boisterously hug the short room service employee at the beginning of each of Wayne's frequent visits to this area.
"Everytime (sic) he does that, I'm kissing his navel," Carganilla laughs.
"I guess I'm assigned to serve many of the hotel's most important guests because I'm the most experienced and they possibly think I'm the most trustworthy because of my military experience."
He's given up the idea of retiring after trying it once five years ago and finding it boring.
"I just sat around the house. It was bad," he concluded.
Carganilla was born in the Philippines and his working career dates back to the 1920s, when he moved to California and was employed on fishing boats going to Alaska.
In the early 1930s, he was hired as a Chauffeur by a young new movie star named James Cagney.
He also was employed for 10 years as a steward at Seattle's Roosevelt Hotel prior to the outbreak of World War II, when Japanese occupation forces killed his father, who was the mayor of a town in the Philippines.
Carganilla joined the Army and was assigned to be an instructor in jungle warfare.
He became enamored with a Marysville, Calif. drug store cashier named Irene, bought every valentine in the store, signed them "to Irene," and presented them to her on the spot. They have now been married 33 years.
Carganilla studied to be an aeronautical engineer but was dissatisfied with his job at the Boeing Co. here immediately after the war.
He told Olympic Hotel manager Thomas Gildersleve, who started Carganilla on his long and mutually rewarding career with the Olympic.
"Since then I've worked for five managers, and they've all been nice fellows who treated me like a king," Carganilla said.
He has been absent from his job for only two weeks, recovering from an operation, during his 30 years with the Olympic.
Carganilla now works nights, which is not the busiest time, but requires the experience to handle more "dignified" requests, as well as all kinds of orders for food and beverages from people from society's top, middle and bottom levels, he explained.
He said doctors and nurses often are among the poorest tippers, while a convention of lumbermen produced some of the best tips.
As a former American Legion officer, Carginalla is looking forward to this month's national Legionnaires convention here. They also are good tippers, he said.
