FATHER REYNALDO Reyes

 On January 19,1965 Reynaldo was born the fifthchild in a family that would end up a total of eight. Being from a large family so many memories to be made so many good times to be had without a care in the world. Not realizing the mark he would engrave in everyone's heart; at a young age it sounded like his destiny had already been chosen by the Lord. The family stated that when he was going to be scolded or spanked he would start praying and asking for God and Mother Mary for help so that his mom would have mercy on him, they couldn't help but laugh at the way he spoke in the time of trouble. As he grew up he was mischievous but a happy soul. He was very close to his grandmother Feliz, she was a great influence on him becoming a priest he loved her dearly. She passed away shortly after him joining  the seminary. In 1993 he was ordained a priest and for 16 years he served the Lord and his Church.

  I met him in high school he was a senior and I was a freshman. He seemed really shy and quiet, little did I know that we would soon become related, two years later I married into the family. I remember how he would always make me feel part of the family when we got together, always laughing,cooking and always asking you a thousand questions making a family get together very interesting and always fun.

  I look back on the 25 years that I have known him and can never remember him being angry or so mad that he would let it mess up his day. Such a beautiful spirit that he had you could not help but love him. He loved to play games a couple of his favorites that he liked to play with his family was the newly wed game oh my goodness it was crazy how he would come up with some wild questions and peachy weechy boy we would laugh so hard we would cry. Oh yeah, he loved to play poker  especially when he would win he would say daddy needs new shoes or that whats you all get for being greedy and always having a snickering laugh like ah ha it's all mine when he would rake his winning in. But it was always fun. I remember every time they would tell us that he would be coming down we would plan dinner,play a game, talk and laugh it just seemed to brighten you day no matter what kinda of day you had. It seemed as if to lift everyones spirits and always made a special family time; I know my kids really loved him so, he always made sure they had fun. I feel a great loss but very blessed to have had him as part of my life. I will always carry all the memories we shared in my heart till the day we meet again.

  On April 2009 he was diagnosed with having Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Not knowing that he would be the first of his siblings and his parents to die. He started chemo having good and bad days as you would with chemo; he had his moments but for the most part he still kept his sense of humor. At the end of May I remember we went back to the Dr after several rounds of chemo and alot of leg pain the doctor told him that the cancer had went into remission and we were all so happy, that the cancer had been conquered. A week or two later His aunts came down from Laredo to see him, so he entertained them the whole week they were here, he took them to the casino which was one his favorite places, he took them to the jamaica, out to eat and gave mass on Sunday in his hometown not knowing that would be his last. That following Monday he was in terrible pain and asked to be taken to the hospital they admitted him and ran all kinds of labs and test. After a couple of weeks you could see that something was wrong and he was not improving it seemed to be getting worse the doctors decided that the cancer had spread to the lining of his brain and it was affecting his nervous system, they stated that it was very aggressive and that radiation need to be done right away. After a couple of treatments it looked like he was improving, then all of a sudden he wanted to talk to all his family so we all gathered together and he told us that he would no longer be doing treatments of any kind to fight the cancer. those were the hardest words to hear because as humans were selfish and not wanting to let go of those we love. He told us the doctor had come in and gave him the logistics of his chances of beating this cancer and the odds were not good so he decided no more. A decision we were not happy to hear but a decision he made based on facts . We did not agree but we had to respect his wishes and keeping in perspective that he was the one who knew what his body could tolerate and he wanted to die with some dignity.

  The next couple of months would be spent in the hospital. He spent a couple of weeks at UMC in Lubbock in the cancer center. We all took turns staying with him making sure he was never alone, he would always thank us for being there, but I felt very blessed to able to stay with him, It was amazing the people that would come from every where to see him and would speak of how he touched their their lives in one way or another. I would stand in awe to see how many people loved him. They moved him to Medical Arts Hospital in Lamesa his home town where he would spend his remaining days under hospice care. And still people would drive from all over just to spend a couple of minutes with him. It was amazing but sad to see that his time was about to be over. Cancer is such an ugly disease as you stand by and watch the transformation of a once strong and full of life and vibrant person now becoming a fragile and broken child was very painful for everyone.

  For his short time here on earth he lived a very blessed life. He lived his life to the fullest as he traveled to so many places saw and done do many different things that some of us only dream of doing. But most of all, the friends that he had become acquainted with threw out the years were so great and numerous thay all had a story, but what they all had in common is how he touched their livees and how much they loved him. Because of him we have made some dear friends who we will never forget! I feel in my heart the Lord really used him to shepard his flock.

  On August 16, 2009 at 1:30 pm the Lord called him home to a place where pain no longer exist and where tears are no longer tears of sorrow but of joy. He is now in a mansion that the Lord has prepared for him and is now praising our father in heaven with all the angels and his grandma at his side.

                 His love and kindness will be forever etched in my heart

                    and all the good and happy times we shared together

                            as a family will never be forgotten!!!!