FELIX A. HERNANDEZ

Uncle junior loved to talk, no matter what. I thought that he just liked to hear himself talk. Especially about politics. At the time I was only seven years old with no attention span
uncle junior was talking an unfortunately, no one was listening. Hence, the word LISTENING!

He pulled me aside and told me to listen to him talk. I sat down next to him and listened. After a half an hour I was getting antsy, after all I had a short attention span. I was getting tired of him talking to me. I interrupted him and said Uncle Junior, is it enough? Uncle junior said enough of what?
LISTENING?!!??! Do you remember that look that he gives you when he's not being LISTENED to ?

PRICELESS

He didn't want talk after that I will miss him.

Love,
Andrew Horowitz

I have been delaying putting this up for quite a while now. Mostly because I tear up each time and just exit my browser. For me it still isn't real yet. I know intellectually that he is gone, but until I post this it won't be fully real. It is my last good bye that is causing me to falter and not post this repeatedly. I can't keep delaying though, I'm not doing right by him. So I will post the two poems I wrote about him. The first was done the day I found out he was gone. The second was a little later on.

A poem of Uncle Juney

He was always there for us.
Standing tall, and speaking loud.
While we may not have all agreed with him,
he was loved by us all.
Nothing we can say or do
will comfort us enough this day,
but he fought tooth and nail to say
He loved us all.
He wouldn't want us crying,
he'd say man up and continue trying.
There's nothing wrong with moving on.
There will be another dawn.
I'll see you all again one day soon.
I love you all.


Sweatshirt

He always wore one
Always a different one
Sometimes it was the gray one with Grumpy University
Or the ones with his favorite sports teams
Some he never wore
The hoods were always inside out even though he never used them
Pocket opening in the front
Hands always jammed inside
Heartfelt smile ones of many colors
Ones with pictures
Ones that had characters
Ones of singular color
Ones about sports
So many different kinds to wear and share that we remember
Mostly Disney or sports a few plain ones too
Never a T-shirt or buttoned shirt
Never a suit and tie oh heavens no
Always one of the many you wore
Some of us now have one to treasure and always remember you by
No more loud conversations
No more political “discussions” that we were wrong in
No more stock tips that we'd do the opposite on
No more movies to watch with you
No more listening
No more hearing
No more talking
No more you in the sweatshirts
No more you but in great memories
Goodbye

Juney,
I can't believe your gone. I still feel as though I could pick up the phone and you will answer. I wish I had called you more often. It was hard to going to Calif. for Mom's birthday and you not being there. I'm sad but glad that all your ailments are gone now. It is so amazing how much you managed to do with all your pain. Miss you.
Love Margie

fELIX, I hope you remember this amongst the many great moments we shared in the old days. unfortunately, we didn't make or take the time to reminisce about those days at p.s. 39, p.s. 52, st,athanasius and all the guys we hung out with in the south bronx summer. They were golden days and i'll never forget them. Do you remember when I was on leave from the usmc and decided to go downtown to eat at a fancy reataurant? I rented a car that lost it's steering mechanism on the FDR HWY but somehow we made it safely. We went to an upscale Italian restaurant, you, rosie, nancy and me. we ordered drinks and were given a menu without any prices. We were ready to order when Nancy protested because the prices were shown on her menu and they were exceedingly high. The end of that story was that we paid for the drinks and left. we then found a mom and pop restaurant and laughed about the experience, We miraculously got home safely with the broken steering ( some pin on the front axle had broken or fallen off).
Remember, You and Vic are always with me in spirit. God bless you both.
P.S. I'm hoping to find our 9th grade graduation picture - class 9-3. I remeber you had a wide tie knot with a mister B collar shirt.

Uncle Juney, thanks for your thoughtfulness, generosity, sage advice, and especially for always being in my corner, cheering me on. You always believed in me and made me feel like I could do anything!