Hector Ivan Nieves

Hector Ivan Nieves Baez was a Marine. He served his country in the Korean War, and he lived his life under the code of a Marine. He died as a Marine with honor, dignity and pride. Hector was born in Ceiba, Puerto Rico on January 5, 1936 to Eladia Nieves Baez and Leoncio Nieves. He was married to our beloved mother, Antonia Nieves Maldonado, who just recently passed away six months ago. Now they're dancing in Heaven together.

Our father, Hector, had four children; Nydia, Junior, Dennis, and myself, Kimberly, and his also survived by his son-in-law, Carlos, and daughter-in-law Debbie. I also have to mention Kimmy, who he loved very much in the last few years where he got to know her.

Hector lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut during the first years of his marriage and our lives, later moved to Ceiba, Puerto Rico, and then here to Orlando, Florida to live with me, beside my family. I cared for my dad and my mom till the end.

He has so many grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. There are so many to name, but you know who you are. He has a brother named Felix, and a sister, Carmen Iris, preceded him in death.

Hector lived the life of service giving back to the community, his friends, and his family. So many people consider him to be their friend; they call him dad.

During this hard time, people have reached out with so much love and gratitude because during their hardest times, he was always there for anyone that needed him. Through housing programs, he provided homes to families that couldn't afford them. On Three Kings Day, which was his birthday, he had camels walking down the road with kings bringing gifts that had been donated from the Marines and the Navy League. Now in his golden years, he literally loved going couponing just so he could make little care packages for people that came to visit him so they can take a shampoo, a toothpaste, fabric softener, and laundry detergent.

I'm sure that everybody that hears this message or reads this message has been touched by the love of my father through his kindness and works. His legacy will live on forever, and will be talked about from generation to generation.

Some of the many organizations he participated in or served were The Lions Club, the Navy League of PR at Roosevelt Roads, the Ninos Liciado of Puerto Rico, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He was an elder at Christ Tabernacle Church. He was the Director of Housing and Development in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and later, served as the Director of Ceiba Housing and Development in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. He was a member of the Black Panthers and fought for civil rights through many Hispanic coalitions. He was a member of the Puerto Rican Parade Committee in Connecticut, and served on many boards, such as the Cooperativa of Puerto Rico. The list can go on and on and on, his portfolio of acknowledgments letters of commendation, letters thanking him for his service is so big, that there would be no way to mention everything.

You all know who Hector Nieves was for me, he was my daddy. He was my rock and it's hard to imagine this world without him. I am his baby.

In his last days unfortunately, his body just could not take the impact that Covid was doing to his lungs his heart, his kidneys, and more but what means everything to me is his last words. He said, "I feel important."

Now, for a man that did so much to lose the mobility of his legs, to not be able to talk, to not be able to move out of that bed, to be in pain, and his mind still be sharp enough to tell you he wants to see his soap opera or to call you by your name, he was so overjoyed with the outpouring of people that reached out to him during this time.

While he was in the hospital, hundreds of messages on Facebook, Instagram and messenger came in. You see, my dad for the last 10 years has been sending to hundreds of people a blessing message of good mornings on Facebook, messenger and Instagram and he would always end the night by telling them good night and sending them a blessing message again. These people were his family, those that worked with him, people that he knew where he used to live, people from Connecticut, his caregivers, his realtor, his Walmart manager, or anyone or everyone that came into his life that he could add to the list he would send them a message. He called this his mission.

People expected and waited for these messages and when they didn't receive those messages while he was in the hospital they reached out in concern. I had to respond to them and let them know what was going on and I read those messages to my dad in the hospital so he knew that people were thinking about him and praying for him. He felt the love. It was those messages and the people that came to visit him that made him feel important, so thank you.

I just want to say thank you dad - thank you for being in my life, thank you for giving me and my husband Carlos the privilege to be the persons to take care of you in the end, and for always being by my side. I love you and I honor you. You will go out just as you came into this world with honor, you are my Marine, rest in peace soldier. Semper Fi, Oorah.

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