Birthday bash for Borges brings out singer's buddies

By Ben Wood

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 08, 2012

~~LAST WEEK was one of the most emotional weeks in Jimmy Borges' life. On May 31 he made his biggest return to the stage since recovering from life-threatening liver cancer surgery July 18 by singing Frank Sinatra's hits with Matt Catingub and the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra before a near-capacity crowd of 1,800 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. The next day, he celebrated his 77th birthday. Then, on Saturday, he was surprised by a Prince Court birthday party arranged by his dear wife, Vicki, and his daughter Steffanie Juergenson. Perhaps Jimmy summed it up best at the party: "I didn't know I was going to have a 77th birthday. To be here and sharing this with you is the beginning of my second life." That prompted dean of Hawaii sportscasters Jim Leahey to come over from two tables away, where his ohana was celebrating his wife Toni's birthday, to congratulate the crooner and add, "Everyone agrees that it is great to be Portuguese." The remark about his and Jimmy's heritage had the people at both tables laughing. …
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LAST WEEK was one of the most emotional weeks in Jimmy Borges' life. On May 31 he made his biggest return to the stage since recovering from life-threatening liver cancer surgery July 18 by singing Frank Sinatra's hits with Matt Catingub and the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra before a near-capacity crowd of 1,800 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. The next day, he celebrated his 77th birthday. Then, on Saturday, he was surprised by a Prince Court birthday party arranged by his dear wife, Vicki, and his daughter Steffanie Juergenson. Perhaps Jimmy summed it up best at the party: "I didn't know I was going to have a 77th birthday. To be here and sharing this with you is the beginning of my second life." That prompted dean of Hawaii sportscasters Jim Leahey to come over from two tables away, where his ohana was celebrating his wife Toni's birthday, to congratulate the crooner and add, "Everyone agrees that it is great to be Portuguese." The remark about his and Jimmy's heritage had the people at both tables laughing. …