Juan Irizarry

Juan Irizarry, affectionately known as "Johnny," devastatingly lost his battle to cancer on Friday, December 8th at 12:11 p.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Johnny was born to the late Paula Misora Uceta Irizarry and Juan Irizarry on May 17, 1965 in Manhattan. In speaking of his love for New York City, Johnny once told his daughter, "I was born here, and I'll die here too."

Johnny lived his entire life in Harlem on West 135th street. He attended John F. Kennedy High School, where he was on the baseball team, a sport he would maintain a deep passion for throughout his life. At 17 years old, he had his first child, Joshua Irizarry and at 30 he had his second, Amanda Jayla Irizarry.

In 1986, Johnny began working at the Dakota at 1 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Over the 37 years that he worked there, Johnny became a beloved member of the Dakota community, greeting tenants, tourists, and neighborhood regulars with a contagious smile from his post as a doorman at the front of the building. He grew up at the Dakota, and he saw many of the tenants grow up there, too. He witnessed as their kids turned into adults and had kids of their own. He celebrated every family's milestones and the tenants celebrated him and his as well. He loved to share and to listen to stories. He was curious, respectful, warm, kind, and joyful.

Johnny found so much of that joy in his work, and he strived to be the best doorman in New York City (no doubt, he succeeded). He worked until he physically could no longer, with his last day at the Dakota being just four days before his passing.

Johnny was a fighter. A warrior. He tackled his illness with the same perseverance that he applied to every bit of adversity he faced in his life (of which, there was plenty). When the doctors first diagnosed him with cancer in 2021, the outlook was grim - they estimated that he had just six months to live. He proved them wrong, fighting his illness head on and grounded in his faith, living two years longer than projected. Despite his sickness, he maintained a palpable energy of positivity and strength. He attended the 10th Street Church of Christ for a number of years, and found comfort and peace in his relationship with God. He loved gospel music, even waiting until music was played in his hospital room before taking his last breath. In his darkest days, he did not stop shining.

He was a fierce competitor in every sense of the word. Some of his proudest accomplishments were, unsurprisingly, winning: being a 2x fantasy football league champ, winning the league championship with his softball team - the Sentinels, and running the 2016 and 2018 NYC marathons (and completing the 2018 half-marathon alongside his daughter). He prided himself on his ability to stay fit, active, (and handsome) as he aged, continuing to wake up at 5am to go to the gym before riding his bike to work each day. He was an avid sports fan who absolutely loved seeing his NY Mets win. And, of course, he was such a proud father.

Johnny will be deeply missed by the friends and family he is leaving behind, including his sisters Madelina and Olga, his 8 nieces and nephews: Eleika, Erumis, Miguel, Taylee, Thean, Ariana, Mia, and Chase, and his beloved children, Amanda and Joshua.

Johnny will be interred at Trinity Church Mausoleum at 770 Riverside Dr, New York, NY on Friday, December 15th. Thank you to every single person who cooked for, prayed with, hugged, spoke to, advocated for, ran alongside, or otherwise supported and comforted Johnny throughout his life, especially in the last two years.