Download Lionel Hernandez, age 88—beloved husband, father, grandfather

Lionel Hernandez, age 88—beloved husband, father,
grandfather, brother, uncle and friend—passed away on
Veterans Day, November 11, 2016.
Born on a cold day in February 1928 to Cleofas López and
Dionisio Hernández, he lived to serve from a very young
age. He was a wonderful son, and held several jobs to
support his mother and his three younger brothers: Gene,
Joe and Sammy. These Depression Era trials and
tribulations prepared him for a career in the military as
crash and rescue personnel, and later as a firefighter. He
served in the armed forces at an early age; he still needed
his mother’s permission. Hernandez put in more than
twenty years of service in the US Marine Corps and in the
US Air Force. He was a military police officer in the
former and a firefighter in the latter, saving lives and
risking his own life to rescue injured servicemen. He also
served in the Pacific, traveled extensively, and spoke four
languages: Spanish, English, Chinese (Mandarin) and
French. He was planning to travel to France in January.
At home, Hernandez was a wonderful, loving and caring
husband who always provided for his family. He adored his
wife, Blanca, and she adored him. Their marriage lasted
thirty-one years but she stayed around another thirty-one,
tending to his health problems: Sixty-two years of
dedication that saw him into ripe old age.
As a young father, Hernández enjoyed taking his two sons
Edward and Lionel Jr. fishing in the San Antonio River by
the Pioneer Wings flour mill with the family dog Bullet,
though they never caught fish. He loved his sons very
much. And despite not having a fatherly love role-model
himself, he led his children by example, teaching them
important values and the Fear of God.
Hernández was always helping his fellow humans with
food, shelter and money. He was a perpetual humanitarian.
If you needed it, he’d give you the shirt off his back.
But he loved his pet dogs and cats, his plants, his music and
movies. His favorite crooner was Frank Sinatra; his favorite
salsa performer was Ruben Blades; and he loved listening
to Pedro Navaja and Ligia Elena on YouTube, more for the
rhythm than anything else. As a young man Hernández was
a good dancer, my mother told me. One of his favorite
movies was Ni Sangre Ni Arena featuring the popular
comedian “Cantinflas”—his Uncle Jimmy took him to the
movies to see it as a kid. Last year, we found it on
YouTube and saw it one more time. He was young at heart.
Lionel cherished time with his granddaughter, Allison.
Together, we —father, mother, daughter Blanca, and
granddaughter—spent most of June in San Miguel de
Allende, Mexico. We sat in the Cathedral plaza, listened to
Mariachi music, and enjoyed life.
Lionel Hernández is survived by his former wife and everpresent
companion, Blanca R. Hernández; his devoted
daughter, Blanca Whitehead; his two sons, Lionel
Hernández, Jr. and Edward Hernández; his granddaughter,
Allison Whitehead; his brothers: Eugene P. Toscano and
John Samuel Toscano and sisters-in-law: Esther Toscano
and Martha Toscano; and nephews and nieces: Diana,
Sonia, Marisa, Gina, Patrick, Andrew and their families.
Our Father is preceded in death by his Parents Cleofas
López and Dionisio Hernández, his maternal Uncles,
Grandparents, and Cousins; most recently, by his Brother
Joe Toscano in July of this year.
May God keep our beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother and Uncle, Lionel in
Heaven; he was a good man with a big heart: