Anthony Portillo

Photography and Calypso
Anthony Portillo had a habit of deferring to his wife, Minerva Mentor-Portillo, to express things that he could not put into words. He was quiet, a bit on the shy side. But that is not to say that he was not deeply moved by what he heard and saw. A native of Trinidad, Mr. Portillo considered himself a serious collector of calypso music, particularly 1930's albums that were recorded in remote corners of the island.

An architect for Raytheon in 2 World Trade Center, Mr. Portillo, 48, also was an amateur photographer. On weekends, he would take his family to places like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and set up his tripod. His devotion to his children was obvious. Practically every time they sneezed, he was snapping photographs of his sons, Elijah, 7, and Isaiah, 5. He had an older daughter, Zarifa, 22, from a previous marriage.

Mrs. Mentor-Portillo said the family budget was tight, but even so they enjoyed the city's cultural life through its museums, parks and libraries. And every night in their Brooklyn apartment near Ocean Avenue, Mr. Portillo would curl up in bed with his sons, taking turns with them in reading aloud their favorite children's books. "The Bible said many have entertained angels unawares," his wife said. "I strongly believe that Anthony was an angel that God brought into my life."