MANILA — Roberto Aboitiz, board chairman of the Aboitiz family’s foundation, passed away Thursday, the company said. He was 67.

Aboitiz served as director of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) beginning on May 9, 1994, and was a member of AEV's Board Audit Committee in 2006.

He served as chairman of AEV from 2005 to December 2008.

He was also vice chairman of Aboitiz and Company; director of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, (Cebu), Inc.; and chairman and president of RAFI and West Cebu Foundation Inc.

In 2009, he was conferred the Royal Decoration of the Knighthood in the Order of Nassau by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, in recognition of his remarkable achievements and activities for the good of society.

He graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioral Science.

He was conferred Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) and Doctor of Science in Business Management (Honoris Causa) by the University of San Jose-Recoletos.

Aboitiz is survived by his wife Maria Cristina and their 4 children.