1922 – 2015
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Words of Remembrance for Brother Isaac Perez, FSC
Delivered by Brother Jules Knight, FSC
April 23, 2015
Mass of Christian Burial
De La Salle Hall, Lincroft, NJ
The Republic of Cuba recently captured everyone’s interest as it engulfed national press. Once again after much negotiating, this island country in the Caribbean and our own America opened their doors and hearts to one another.
Today, here in Lincroft, in a very different way and for a very different reason, let us turn our thoughts to Cuba and open our hearts to Isaac Romualdo Perez. Let us try to picture him as one in a family of twenty children roaming around the varied landscapes of Cuba’s largest island and capital, Havana, where he was born on February 7, 1922.
Let us envision him enjoying the surf and the scenery, as well as the searching of this boy who whose quest led him to the Brothers of the Christian Schools Formation House in Havana. Embracing his new life, Isaac journeyed on to become a teacher, a principal, and Director before he entered into the second novitiate in 1956.
In 1961, during the communist takeover of Cuba, Isaac left for America. Like other Cuban exile Brothers, Isaac had a concept of the vocation of the Brother in which the dignity of teaching and learning meant a great deal. Isaac lived his vocation, while remaining humble and self-effacing, but always engaged in what he believed to be a noble work, God’s work.
La Salle High School in Miami, and later, La Salle in Bayamon, Puerto Rico welcomed him. Isaac’s travels later took him to St. Peter’s in Staten Island in 1966. In 1970 he was officially assigned to the New York District. Within that District, he taught at Queen of Peace, North Arlington, Lincoln Hall, and Paramus Catholic. It was during this time that we saw Isaac’s delight in raising his colorful, prize winning canaries. In 1995, Isaac came to teach at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, and moving a short way across campus a decade later to De La Salle Hall, Isaac lived out his remaining years walking three miles a day, feeding the birds outside his bedroom window, and helping out wherever needed.
But, let us not forget Isaac’s noteworthy project that occupied much of his energy and focus during his time here. For his Brothers, for DENA, he tirelessly assembled the memorial cards of deceased Brothers into several binders. He was always in search of any missing cards! Isaac did this for us with such care, thoroughness, and devotion – qualities that reflected his approach to anything he undertook, as well as Isaac’s love for his vocation.
Having lived in Cuba or within close proximity for almost forty years, let us imagine how difficult it had to be for Isaac to leave it all and embrace a foreign land as his own. In embracing that “foreign land,” he also embraced all of us, his new Brothers. For those who knew him, Isaac
was a source of edification through his commitment to his prayer life as well as to his daily service to us, his brothers.
We knew Isaac’s great devotion to Our Blessed Lady as evidenced in his praying the rosary during his daily walks around the Lincroft property. Always most considerate of older Brothers, he was first to ask that he accompany a Brother who was visiting another in the hospital and it was Isaac’s special ministry to pray at the bedside of a dying Brother.
We are a better District because of Isaac’s presence among us.
We salute you, Brother Isaac, for your spirit of courage, faith, and zeal! We remember you as a Brother for others! Be at rest with our Founder, and our Brothers who welcome you home from the good journey … Being at rest, Isaac!
These Words of Remembrance are a Group effort of:
Brother Jerome Sullivan, FSC
Ms. Carroll Bennett (DENA Administrative Assistant)
Brother Charles O’Connell, FSC
Brother Jules Knight, FSC
Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Brother Isaac Perez, FSC
Born Isaac Romualdo Perez in Nuevitas Camaguey, Cuba on February 7, 1922
Entered the Havana Juniorate on March 18, 1937, and Novitiate on June 15, 1939
Received the Religious Habit and Name, Brother Bernardino Leon, on October 6, 1939
Pronounced Perpetual Vows in Havana, CUBA, in 1944
Br. Isaac died at De La Salle Hall, Lincroft, NJ, on April 20, 2015
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Viewing beginning at 10:00 am
Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am
De La Salle Hall
810 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738-1608
Burial at St. Gabriel’s Cemetery, Marlboro, NJ
SUFFRAGES FOR OUR DECEASED BROTHER ISAAC:
District: 100 masses
De La Salle Hall community: 30 masses
Each community in the District: 1 mass
Brother Isaac died peacefully in his room at De La Salle Hall during the evening while in palliative care. May he rest in peace.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1941-1944
teacher
Santiago, Cuba
Collegio La Salle
1944-1948
teacher
Havana, Cuba
La Salle School
1948-1952
teacher
Havana, Cuba
Juniorate
1952-1953
sub-director
Havana, Cuba
Scholasticate
1953-1956
teacher
Havana, Cuba
La Salle Marianao
1956-1957
second novitiate
Rome, Italy
Generalate
1957-1959
principal
Havana, Cuba
La Salle Academy
1959-1960
director general
Havana, Cuba
Formation House
1960-1961
vice-principal/principal
Guantanamo, Cuba
Sacred Heart School
1961-1962
teacher
Miami, FL
La Salle High School
1962-1966
teacher
Bayamon, PR
La Salle School
1966-1970
teacher
Staten Island, NY
St. Peter’s Boys High School
June 1970
Assigned to the New York District
1970-1972
teacher
North Arlington, NJ
Queen of Peace High School
1972-1981
teacher
Lincolndale, NY
Lincoln Hall
1981-1989
teacher
Paramus, NJ
Paramus Catholic High School
1989-1990
Milano, Italy
Instituto Gonzaga
1990-1995
teacher
Paramus, NJ
Paramus Catholic High School
1995-2010
teacher
Lincroft, NJ
Christian Brothers Academy
2010-2015
resident
Lincroft, NJ
De La Salle Hall
He was my teacher in Colegio de la Salle Miramar, Habana, Cuba 1948-1949 school year in what in Cuba was know as “Ingreso” the equivalent to 7th grade. We will miss him, while we have gained someone to intercede for his alumni.
Armando Larrea
Uncle Isaac, was an excellent son, brother, uncle, friend and human being.
He was a loving, kind, compassionate holy man who inspired and touched the hearts of his students with the Christian spirit. Our uncle had an extraordinary service ethic, waiting on people to ensure they were well looked after.
Tío Isaac had strong principles that he believed in and lived by, but he was never judgmental and loved people for who they were. He touched our lives and the lives of everyone around him with his undying support and his positive attitude. He will be remembered for many things, but mostly, for his love and devotion to God and family. We will all miss him immensely, but it gives us strength to know that he lived every minute of his journey with love, grace and gratitude. Although our hearts are filled with sorrow, our hearts also find joy in knowing he is in the Kingdom of God. His memory will always be in our hearts.
Alina Vazquez Perez (niece)
This message is for Alina Vazquez Perez, my name is Ricardo Perez son of Ricardo Perez – your/our uncle Isaac brother from Miami Fl. Ive always tried to find my dads side of the family. Please if you can email me at roaringnc@gmail.com when you get a chance
Thank you
Hi Alina, I just saw this article of our Tio Isa, I’m Leonor Perez the daughter of Luis Perez, hope someday you may read this and know you have another cousin in this world.
Warm Regards,
Leonor
Hno. Bernardino leaves behind a legacy of loving service to the Christian education of the youth. In the late 1960’s he arrived into the New York District and was assigned to live among us Scholastics for a summer at Oakdale, NY. His personal charm and courage at having to leave his native and beloved Cuba filled us all with enthusiam to live out our own lives more fully for Christ. Descanse en paz, amigo y hermano!
Tio Isa, as we called him and we still do, he was the best best bestest Human Being I ever bet, He loved all of us from his brothers, sisters and all his nieces and nephews, his major dream was to get that great big, beautiful family together. My brother, sister and I have very fond memories of Tio Isa, he is missed very much but he lives in our hearts every day of our lives, he tought us the God comes first in our lives and instead of speaking to god and asking him for what you need ask God to speak to you and tell you what it’s you need to do. Tio Isa, Rest in Peace, we Love you always and forever. You are with your family including your brother my Dad Luis Perez, and someday we will all be together.
Leonor Perez-noniperez39@yahoo.com