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Democracy Now tribute to my dad

DEMOCRACY NOW, July 8, 2010

The well-known Puerto Rican attorney, political analyst and historian Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua has died at the age of 73. After his death on Friday, Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño declared three days of mourning. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez, who has known Passalacqua for many years, talks about his life and legacy.

Filed under Juan Manuel García-Passalacqua

Juan Gonzalez Remembers Puerto Rican Analyst Juan Manuel García Passalacqua

Small accidents

You can tell where my head is not these days when today I managed to destroy one of my husband's carefully positioned cabinets in his painstakingly well-designed garage.

A huge black wasp got into the car and, as I was trying to open the driver's door to let it out before it stung me (it had already crawled down my arm and that's how I noticed!), I put the car on Drive rather than Reverse.

Adiós, cabinet, it was!

My husband created the poster above to poke fun at the parking sign my sister gave me a while back, which hung above the now-defunct cabinet.

Obituary

Juan M. García Passalacqua

February 22, 1937 ~ July 02, 2010

Juan Manuel García Passalacqua, one of Puerto Rico’s best known political analysts, an advisor to two Puerto Rican governors and one U.S. president, an educator, author and lawyer, a husband, father and grandfather, died Friday July 2, 2010 at age 73 in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he spent his final days in the care of his family.

He was born February 22, 1937, in San Juan, P.R., the son of Manuel García Díaz and Josefina Passalacqua. After graduating from law school, he was recruited in 1958 as an advisor to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Muñoz Marín. He also served as an advisor to Muñoz’s successor, Roberto Sánchez Vilella.

Juanma, as he was popularly known, went on to become one of Puerto Rico’s top political analysts, producing and appearing on popular television and radio current events programs and writing columns for several Puerto Rico newspapers.

He also testified before several congressional committees on the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status and dedicated much of his professional life to studying, writing about and teaching about Puerto Rico’s political relationship with the United States. He was also the author of more than 20 books in both Spanish and English, ranging from non-fiction works on Puerto Rican and Caribbean affairs to novels.

During the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, he was an advisor to the National Security Council and the U.S. State Department on Caribbean and Latin American affairs. He later became a member of the Ambassadors Circle of the Carter Center in Atlanta and served as an impartial election observer in more than a dozen countries around the world. In 1982, he also became a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

For more than 20 years, he worked as legal counsel for the Ana G. Méndez Foundation in Puerto Rico. He taught as a visiting professor at institutions including Yale University, the University of Puerto Rico, and the Center for Advanced Studies in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and he wrote in his final newspaper column that he hoped to be remembered most as a professor.

He is survived by his wife, Ivonne Acosta Lespier; two brothers, Julio García Passalacqua and Luis García Passalacqua; a daughter, Ivonne Marie García Acosta, and her husband, Lance Oliver; a son, Juan Manuel García Acosta, and his wife, Mildred Maymí; a daughter, Ana Marie “Maruca” García Acosta; and six grandchildren.

The family will observe a private family service locally. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 12 at the Iglesia San Miguel Arcángel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to Hospice of Knox County, 17700 Coshocton Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050.

A small tribute to my dad

There will be a short private service at my small college on the hill this week for my dad and then in Puerto Rico, the week after, there will be a Catholic mass, which promises to fill the small church where it will be held.

In the meantime, I've arranged a few of his personal belongings: the last book he was reading, his glasses, his passport and appointment book, his watch and comb, around his ashes (the urn won't be ready until later this week) in a small altar in our dining room. The photo poster was made by the wonderful funeral home we were recommended, which also posted a lovely obituary for him on their web page.

I have a candle burning at the altar and it gives me great solace to wish him a good night and to say buenos días, papito, in the mornings.

Joan Manuel Serrat - Elegía

Poema Elegía de Miguel Hernandez

(En Orihuela, su pueblo y el mío, se
me ha muerto como del rayo Ramón Sijé,
con quien tanto quería.)

Yo quiero ser llorando el hortelano
de la tierra que ocupas y estercolas,
compañero del alma, tan temprano.

Alimentando lluvias, caracolas
y órganos mi dolor sin instrumento.
a las desalentadas amapolas

daré tu corazón por alimento.
Tanto dolor se agrupa en mi costado,
que por doler me duele hasta el aliento.

Un manotazo duro, un golpe helado,
un hachazo invisible y homicida,
un empujón brutal te ha derribado.

No hay extensión más grande que mi herida,
lloro mi desventura y sus conjuntos
y siento más tu muerte que mi vida.

Ando sobre rastrojos de difuntos,
y sin calor de nadie y sin consuelo
voy de mi corazón a mis asuntos.

Temprano levantó la muerte el vuelo,
temprano madrugó la madrugada,
temprano estás rodando por el suelo.

No perdono a la muerte enamorada,
no perdono a la vida desatenta,
no perdono a la tierra ni a la nada.

En mis manos levanto una tormenta
de piedras, rayos y hachas estridentes
sedienta de catástrofes y hambrienta.

Quiero escarbar la tierra con los dientes,
quiero apartar la tierra parte a parte
a dentelladas secas y calientes.

Quiero minar la tierra hasta encontrarte
y besarte la noble calavera
y desamordazarte y regresarte.

Volverás a mi huerto y a mi higuera:
por los altos andamios de las flores
pajareará tu alma colmenera

de angelicales ceras y labores.
Volverás al arrullo de las rejas
de los enamorados labradores.

Alegrarás la sombra de mis cejas,
y tu sangre se irán a cada lado
disputando tu novia y las abejas.

Tu corazón, ya terciopelo ajado,
llama a un campo de almendras espumosas
mi avariciosa voz de enamorado.

A las aladas almas de las rosas
del almendro de nata te requiero,
que tenemos que hablar de muchas cosas,
compañero del alma, compañero.

Requiescat in pacem

Juan Manuel García Passalacqua

Father, teacher, Puerto Rican patriot.

February 22, 1937 - July 2, 2010