To my Everdearest and Loving Husband Mario -
my LOVE, my BEST FRIEND, my SOULMATE, my PARTNER and my CONFIDANTE,

It’s hard to know where to begin as I find myself in the midst of an ocean of emotions. It is not easy to say goodbye especially to a remarkable man like you. The pain of losing an incredible husband and best friend is so profound that the void your absence leaves is impossible to fill. It is hard to know where to begin. I can
only express my deepest gratitude to GOD every waking moment of my day for blessing me with the greatest partner in life any woman can ever ask for.

Mario or “LOVE” as I was blessed to call you - you had a heart as vast as the universe. You loved unconditionally, gave generously, and forgave easily. No man can ever replace you…. at least not in my heart. We’ve been married for 40 years and what we had was not a perfect marriage but as people say, you and I were perfect for each other, and we were! With our sacred union, we gave life to 3 beautiful children. They are God’s greatest gifts to us for our unwavering love for each other and the steadfast faith we have in God. One of the happiest moments in our journey in life is raising our children in the footsteps of Christ and serving HIM together in various ministries alongside our children.

Mario, you were truly a man of simplicity yet of substance. Your legacy is not just in the years you lived, but in the lives you touched, the hearts you warmed, the souls you inspired. You were the embodiment of resilience, tenacity and a true servant of God.

Mario, LOVE - I thank you, for every gift, every lesson and every moment you gave me and our 3 wonderful children –Johanna, Jonathan and Johleena and there are more than 40 years of them to draw on. I love you dearly and I will always carry you in my heart!

Taking care of you 24/7 for more than 5+ years, during your time of illness and numerous health challenges, was an honor and great blessing.

Though physically, it was hard work and exhausting, overall it was well worth it. You taught me valuable lessons along the way in the midst of your helplessness and pain. You were a true man whose heart followed after God. You relied on the Lord to carry you through it all. Indeed, the Lord was at our side walking with us each step of the way and in every occasion of your ER visits, days at the ICU, several medical checkups, numerous tests & procedures, bouts of chemo treatments, and months of rehab. In all these difficult times, I saw how you battled all these with profound grace, resiliency, courage and humility, and I never saw you once complained. Your trust in God is inspiring, even your ring tone on your phone audibly reminds everyone of your love for the Lord whenever it rings as it played “Our God is an Awesome God”.

Mario, our love is one that stands the test of time. It is a beautiful testament of the sacred vow of our covenant love that we made before God –to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”.

Today, as we bid farewell to you, I am not saying goodbye. Instead, I am saying THANK you. Thank you, Mario for your unwavering love, your endless patience, your invaluable lessons you exemplified. Thank you for your laughter, your wisdom, and your guidance.

Thank you for being my ever dearest loving husband, for loving me unconditionally. For seeing and believing in me more than I could ever see in myself. Thank you for being my cheerleader, loving me the way God created me and encouraging me each day to be the best version of myself. Thank you for making up for my weaknesses (like not cooking as good as you), covering them with your loving actions. Thank you for your tenacious faith in the midst of your sickness and pain that taught us treasured lessons in following Jesus.

Thank you for inspiring us to celebrate the success of others, for demonstrating how to have a teachable heart and to pursue kindness above the material things of this world. Thank you for following God in good times and bad, for showing us that life is a gift that we should be gracious as we’ve been shown amazing grace. Thank you for being a beacon of light guiding me and our children Johanna, Jonathan and Johleena forward, and your lessons will be our roadmap in life to guide us.

Thank you for your wisdom, your million dollar smile, and most importantly, your unwavering love for me and our children. Thank you for being my greatest inspiration. And though your physical presence may no longer be with us, your spirit will live on within me and our children forever.

Our life together is beautiful. It has been shaped and formed through all that God has allowed us to experience together as a couple- in good and in bad, in sickness and in health, in rich and in poor – beauty, love and faith woven throughout it all – that makes this journey together so blessed & amazing. As I navigate life without you, I will hold onto the memories, the lessons, and most importantly, your unconditional love. I know that you are looking down at us with a big smile on your face saying - “Love - make the best of life with our three children. I’m with you always. God even assigned me to be prayer leader for today and I am working closely with our loved ones and angels up here in Heaven.”

Mario please know that my heart is yours forever in God’s love. Until we meet again.
I love you endlessly.

Your love, wife and partner forever,
Joji