Wishing today as I wished before, that God could have spared your life, your love and your smile with me for many years more. In my heart your memory is kept forever. To love, to cherish and to never forget. Love you always baby. Your loving husband, Jose'. The Harlem community will miss you. Mrs. Bernai "Bernie" Marie Heastie Gordon-Valencia (January 6, 1955-November 23, 2005) was born in New York, NY. She was the only child of the late Mr. Robert "Bobby" Gordon (1915-1977) from Augusta, GA and Mrs. Juliette Gordon from Albany, GA. She received her education in the New York City (NYC) public schools, graduating from Louis D. Brandeis H.S. in 1973. She went on and graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. She also graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977, majoring in Medical Lab Technology and a minor in Drama. She was a very helpful, strong woman in the cause for peace and justice in the Harlem community. She was a "Youth Counselor" in the Harlem community. In the last couple of decades of her life, she devoted herself in helping the disadvantage youths, ages from 14 to 21, of getting them a better education. She also assisted the youths in getting summer and full time jobs. She was a very strong advocate for the rights of senior citizens both in Albany, NY and in Washington, D.C. for the Harlem community. She was a Community Liasion for the State of New York in the Harlem community. She was also a Sunday school teacher at the world's famous Riverside Church in NYC for over 20 years. She was also a member of the NYC Community Board 9 in the Harlem community. She was very helpful for the youths in the Harlem community. No matter what was the cause, she was there to try to uplift her people in Harlem. She had told me that she never looked for recognition whenever she had helped someone in the community. She also had told me that when she was young, someone had helped her in getting a part-time job. She had said to me that she had always wanted to return the favor by helping the young people in getting a better education and jobs for those that was willing to work. She was laid to rest at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey on Saturday, November 26, 2005 with her daddy and her favorite Aunt Charlette M. Smith. May God rest your soul. I will never forget you, Bernie. You was my heart and soul. I missed your laughters every single day, your lovely smile and those big pretty brown eyes. Love you always, your loving husband, Jose' aka "Hoss" from "Grant H.P.". Peace... "DON'T QUIT" "When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all up hill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out; don't give up, though the pace seems slow, you may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems so far; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit; it's when things seem worse that you must not quit.""WE COME INTO THIS WORLD CRYING WHILE ALL AROUND US ARE SMILING. MAY WE SO LIVE THAT WE GO OUT OF THIS WORLD SMILING WHILE EVERYBODY AROUND US IS WEEPING.""Some mornings we wake up feeling good, ready to go out and take on the world and "be" a great day. But on others we wake up to a grayness that makes the whole world seem depressing. On those dark days we need to remember: "Every day is a blessing to behold". We must realize that the attitude with which we greet the day says a great deal about what the day will be like. We make our days pleasant or miseable. If we insist on being miserable, irritable and nasty, more than likely the day will give us exactly what we give it. When we start the day with a spirit of joy, openness, peace and love, we put the universe on alert; we want more of the same. A day is too valuable to waste on misery and unhappiness. Even misery cannot stand up to a happy face and heart."
Wishing today as I wished before, that God could have spared your life, your love and your smile with me for many years more. In my heart your memory is kept forever. To love, to cherish and to never forget. Love you always baby. Your loving husband, Jose'.
Mrs. Bernai "Bernie" Marie Heastie Gordon-Valencia (January 6, 1955-November 23, 2005) was born in New York, NY. She was the only child of the late Mr. Robert "Bobby" Gordon (1915-1977) from Augusta, GA and Mrs. Juliette Gordon from Albany, GA. She received her education in the New York City (NYC) public schools, graduating from Louis D. Brandeis H.S. in 1973. She went on and graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. She also graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977, majoring in Medical Lab Technology and a minor in Drama. She was a very helpful, strong woman in the cause for peace and justice in the Harlem community. She was a "Youth Counselor" in the Harlem community. In the last couple of decades of her life, she devoted herself in helping the disadvantage youths, ages from 14 to 21, of getting them a better education. She also assisted the youths in getting summer and full time jobs. She was a very strong advocate for the rights of senior citizens both in Albany, NY and in Washington, D.C. for the Harlem community. She was a Community Liasion for the State of New York in the Harlem community. She was also a Sunday school teacher at the world's famous Riverside Church in NYC for over 20 years. She was also a member of the NYC Community Board 9 in the Harlem community. She was very helpful for the youths in the Harlem community. No matter what was the cause, she was there to try to uplift her people in Harlem. She had told me that she never looked for recognition whenever she had helped someone in the community. She also had told me that when she was young, someone had helped her in getting a part-time job. She had said to me that she had always wanted to return the favor by helping the young people in getting a better education and jobs for those that was willing to work. She was laid to rest at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey on Saturday, November 26, 2005 with her daddy and her favorite Aunt Charlette M. Smith. May God rest your soul. I will never forget you, Bernie. You was my heart and soul. I missed your laughters every single day, your lovely smile and those big pretty brown eyes. Love you always, your loving husband, Jose' aka "Hoss" from "Grant H.P.". Peace...
"DON'T QUIT"
"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all up hill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about, when he might have won had he stuck it out; don't give up, though the pace seems slow, you may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems so far; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit; it's when things seem worse that you must not quit."
"WE COME INTO THIS WORLD CRYING WHILE ALL AROUND US ARE SMILING. MAY WE SO LIVE THAT WE GO OUT OF THIS WORLD SMILING WHILE EVERYBODY AROUND US IS WEEPING."
"Some mornings we wake up feeling good, ready to go out and take on the world and "be" a great day. But on others we wake up to a grayness that makes the whole world seem depressing. On those dark days we need to remember: "Every day is a blessing to behold". We must realize that the attitude with which we greet the day says a great deal about what the day will be like. We make our days pleasant or miseable. If we insist on being miserable, irritable and nasty, more than likely the day will give us exactly what we give it. When we start the day with a spirit of joy, openness, peace and love, we put the universe on alert; we want more of the same. A day is too valuable to waste on misery and unhappiness. Even misery cannot stand up to a happy face and heart."
