Jorge Antonio "Papi" Morales

Jorge Antonio “Papi” Morales, age 82, passed away on Friday March 4th 2022 surrounded by good food and family. Jorge, or “Papi,” as he was affectionately known to almost every person who met him, was born to Ernesto Morales and Gertrudiz Medina-Morales on November 5, 1939, on a boat off the Island of Puerto Rico. One of ten siblings, Papi loved his family deeply, often expressing his admiration for each of them in a special way. During his lifetime, Papi helped support his family using his skills as a carpenter. His desire to care for them led him to eventually move to Brooklyn, NY, where he would go on to even help raise his grandchildren. In 2010 he retired and moved with some of his family to Florida, where he would find wonderful new expressions of some of his greatest passions, which were indoor gardening, long outdoor walks and enjoying nature. Other passions such as cooking, eating and tinkering with household appliances persisted and he also continued to grow his legend as the “Tiburon” in the game of Dominoes, amongst his friends and loved ones. It was during his time in the Sunshine State that he was able to find new passions as well, such as his faithful attendance at his home church, The Dwelling Place Church, where he had a special bond with his Pastors and so looked forward to Sunday Mornings. He also enjoyed relaxing at home with his beloved dog Theda or enjoying his recently developed love for series and documentaries on Netflix, due to a subscription he was given by his grandson Christopher. Over the last two years of his life you could often find Papi at Orlando Health Medical Center, as he battled and overcame cancer, but you would also often find him taking in the tranquility and beauty of his surroundings at Harry P. Leu Gardens, where he would never get tired of experiencing the wonders of nature and God’s creation. A sharp dresser, he wasn’t hard to find in his classic gentlemanly appearance complete with fedora. Jorge was as he appeared and lived, a gentleman with a gentle heart and a gentle soul, the official father and grandfather to those of his family and the unofficial father and grandfather to so many more that he brought into his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Alicia Hernendez, his son Jorge Morales Jr., his great grandchild Amyla Trinity and by his siblings Antonia Mendez, Angel Mendez, Pedro Mendez, Eliu Mendez, David Mendez, Dolores Morales and Carlos Morales. He is survived by his siblings Nestor Morales and Luis Morales, by his children, Alice Soto, Gertrudiz Morales and Jazmin Morales, by his grandchildren, Starsha, Genesis, Christopher, Sarah, Christian, Amber, April, Gabe, Benjamin and Nena, and by his great-grandchildren, Angel, Kieona, Jaslynn, Hailey, Royal, and Noah. While there are many than can no doubt confirm what an amazing impact Jorge had in their lives and in this world through his direct love for people, below is a small selection of statements shared by close family: From his granddaughter Sarah Rosa, “Papi was more than a grandfather, he was my first love, my handy man, and my superhero. Papi was a comedian to me, he was a chef. Papi meant the world to me and he taught me so many things, but I think the most important lesson was just to be happy and positive.” From his nephew Peter Morales, “Of one of the few surviving males to continue the Morales/Mendez family name for generations, Tio Jorge (Georgie) was the epitome of a loving, suave chistoso to his family. He is always jovial, witty and with an infectious smile no matter what the situation was with himself internally or anyone around him. He never had to prove his genuine caring love for life and his family... It was shown through his actions way more than with his words. Although a young, snappy prankster and a sharp, well dressed man, he will be remembered for his sharp mind and lessons learned at the domino table, his encouragement for fighting for those you care most about, celebrating the simplest things in life, and the secret ingredient to his unforgettable coffee.... Love!!!” From his niece Jossie Hernandez ”He was a wonderful funny uncle whom I loved very much.” From his niece Daisy Daniels, “He was loved very much....from when I was a little girl on South 5th Street until now as a grown-up, every time I saw him he always had a smile on his face and a joke to tell and that's how I'll always remember him...smiling.” From his daughter Jazmin Morales, “Papi loved passionately. Everything he did he believes we must have or had done for a reason. No matter what the reason was good, bad, big or small, there was always a reason. So make sure to do it right. We needed to clean, because someone or somewhere there's something being said or done negative, so all we can do is stay clean and positive. I remember that. He believes in God, but before that he had believed in signs from the universe. He kept thinking mama was coming back for him or sending him signs. Like when he saw the butterfly in the window on a winter day, or there was a flower growing in the snow. The white noise from the tv and the sounds of the night. He always believed she would come on his final day to guide him though. He found comfort in his grandchildren because he got to see them grow and saw pieces of her the love of his life in each of them. How they act, grow, look, and how they learned to love. Find themselves. Even if they didn't know it, he loved and loves because he continues to love you all. More than life itself. That's why he would say he was happy even if he was not because all he ever wanted was for everyone else to be happy. He never wanted to be a bother. When he did throw his little fits he used to feel bad afterward because he felt undeserving of things at times, like he was bothering the world.” From his daughter Alice Soto, “Jorge Morales was a man of God. Papi taught me through his life experience that I am never alone, always protected and there is always prayer. He was a warrior, a soldier for God, a watchman, a son of God and he was rich in faith. He was blessed with gifts and skills. A teacher who had dreams. He preferred laughing to crying any day. A peace maker who chooses to love everyone. He was always concerned about his children and cared deeply for family. He was humble and a great friend to many. He was respected by people and favored by God.” From his grandson Christian Rosa, “Who was Papi? Some people will say the guy who makes really good coffee. The guy who makes something out of nothing or the guy who could repair things or the man who loves his plants and has a green thumb or the guy who a lot of people respect, but Papi to me was my best friend. Papi was the man I went to when I was scared when I was kid because he was my super hero. Papi was my favorite person to walk with while he told me stories about our family. I will alway remember the first day of school for me when Papi took me to the school bus. I cried, not wanting to leave his side, but he told me he would be waiting there when I came back and he was. He also came to my sports events to support me, so if you ask me who Papi was to me, he was an amazing son, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, a father to all people but also my best friend, my twin, my super hero, my old man but mostly he will always and forever be my heart.” From Abby Mejia, “Papi was my babysitter when I was in Junior High School. Every single day he would make me coffee and a sandwich. This to me was a big deal because my mom didn't allow me to have coffee. Now his coffee wasn’t just some regular coffee. He made it with so much love and care. It was a synchronization of coffee milk and sugar to perfection. You felt his love for you through every cup of coffee he made. My favorite memory with him was shared on February 24th of 2022 at CFS coffee shop because that day I was able to laugh with him as he enjoyed a cup of coffee. I was so blessed to be in his presence and stroll him around in a beautiful garden. He was truly an amazing soul that will be missed.” From his niece Carmen Morales “Tio Jorge to me was the cutest thing ever. His curly hair, his infectious smile, his style, wearing his hats and his sharp outfits. His kind loving heart. Most people go about their day or lives dealing with their day to day. However Tio took the time to call and check how I was doing, which meant so much to me. He was a light of sunshine. Always smiling, laughing and making jokes. You couldn't help but to have a smile on your face around him. The last time I was with him, he waited until Starsha went out to pick up dinner and he pointed to something on the counter and asked "is that cake? Can I have some?" I remember him saying I love pound cake, it's better than donuts. Our thing was his coffee. I loved his coffee. He would say "it's too light! Supposed to be like me" and I'd say, “no Tio I like it light like me!” And he'd laugh. I am at peace knowing he lived a life full of love and happiness and doing what he loved most, being with friends and family, listening to music, dancing, having his coffee, his lil sweets and playing Dominos. God bless you Tio Love you! Until we meet again 💕🙏😘” From his niece Lourdes Nasongkhla, “As many others have said, Tio Jorge, always cheerful, had a smile on his face. I don't recall ever seeing him angry or upset. He would laugh everything off. I treasure the time I was able to spend with him just weeks before his passing when I visited Florida. May it comfort his daughters and grandchildren to know that he was loved by many and will be dearly missed. May he rest in peace.” From his granddaughter Amber Baez, “We knew so little that day, that God would call your name. In life we love you dearly. In death we do the same. The day God called you home you left us beautiful memories, your love is still our guide and although we can no longer see you physically you live in all of us. You were our provider, protector, teacher, hero and our father. You added an extra light to all of our lives because we couldn’t imagine a life without you papi, you imprinted all of us. We were blessed to have you as a grandfather & we all can say that with great honor. Until our souls link again, we love you dearly papi!” From his granddaughter Genesis Halsey, “Papi was my male role model, he was my grandfather and my dad. Papi showed me what love was through his love for grandma. His stories were the best and sometimes didn’t make sense but that’s what made him even funnier. He would sometimes make up stories to make you laugh and tell me it’s not true 🤣 He would tell me how much he sees grandma in me and tell me that he would move mountains for her. Sometimes he would just pat my head and hold me as we watched novelas together. He was everything to me.” From his nephew Gabriel Hernandez, “Him and your grandmother were like my second parents. All the work I do and everything I know as far as building houses is because of him and my dad and grandpa, two men who adored him as well, my grandpa being his older brother and my father being his brother-in-law. I would never be where I am without that foundation from those great men. I wanna thank them for molding me into the man that I am and for loving with me as much as they did😞” From his daughter Gertrudiz Morales, “Papi was my first love. He was my protector and my provider and the Joy of the house. He was a hardworking carpenter that worked 6 days a week. I remember hearing the keys jingle everyday and I would run to the door in excitement. I use to take his shoes off for him when he came home from work but Saturdays were special because he was home. He was my home…On Saturdays I woke up to the aroma of his infamous coffee. He played & sang plena & salsa and he would pick me up off my feet and dance his heart out. I cherish the memories he left behind along with his words. He taught me to try to stay positive, to forgive and to heal in my hardest moments. He was courageous and was The Family Rock He was a man of integrity and he was honored and loved by every soul he knew, he impacted and inspired many and he remained a man of faith in God. He will be remembered for his singing, his love for his plants, his novellas and of course Papi’s infamous coffee. Papi will forever live on through his memories, his love, his wise words and through us 🤍” We will be holding a visitation for Papi on Friday March 11th, from 12PM - 4PM, with a Family Viewing from 11AM -12PM at A Community Funeral Home and Sunset Cremation on 910 W. Michigan Street, Orlando, Florida 32805. All are invited to attend. The service will begin promptly at 2PM. Donations in honor of Jorge Antonio Morales’ lifelong commitment to family and community can be made via Zelle to starsha.Irizarry@gmail.com or Cash App to $Stariri.

Jorge Antonio "Papi" Morales

November 5, 1939 - March 4, 2022