No! (In memory of Walter Ortiz)

Walter Ortiz, doing his thing. 

This beautiful, most decent, most kind man--my friend, Hoboken born-and-raised Walter Ortiz, lost his battle on Thursday July 5th.

My memories of Walter.

I met Walter in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  His General Contracting business, R.E.D. was stretched paper-thin as he took on an extraordinary workload to repair/rebuild the wrecked homes of Hoboken residents. One of them was my neighbor, and that is how I met Walter. 

In spite of work as far as his eyeballs could see, he agreed to give me an estimate.  R.E.D.'s reputation was high-end, quality work and not cheap. Not only was his estimate fair, but I assessed it at 30% under what he would charge under normal circumstances.  So, I waited months for my turn which came in February 2013. At points in the work, Walter good-naturedly told me how he wasn't making a profit on these Sandy jobs; on top of that, R.E.D. had lost at least  $250,000 worth of materials in his Hoboken warehouse.   

Think about it. Walter was a businessman, but his priority was to help his neighbors first, in spite of his own substantial financial loss.  

Walter took care of his clients because he cared. He was your friend.  Walter had some extra 5" wide wood plank floor from another job, so he upgraded me, no charge. He put in an extra down light because I asked; I expected a change order, got none.  He reinforced rotted beams, leveled my floor-- did extras he didn't have to do.  He did them because that was who he was; that's why his clients were fiercely loyal. 

Walter liked to shoot the shit, loved cats, had the eyes of a dreamer.   

   

His passions were riding with his motorcycle club on cross-country adventures. He was the club's photographer, their videographer. (Walter had press credentials as a photographer.)  

Walter's artistic talents spilled over into his business-- he was more than a builder, he was a gifted designer as many of his clients would tell you.  

A neighbor said upon hearing the awful news: "I am so grateful for him saving us after Sandy. He was the greatest of guys." 

"Saving us after Sandy."  That's what he did for so many of us in Hoboken.

Walter saved the day again, in 2016.  My bathroom floor began to cave (!), I was desperate. Walter! Help! He seemed to be winding down his business, didn't want the job- and sat in my living room, literally  recommending Contractor  x, y, and z. I begged, pleaded.  He took it.  And after demolition, the true miracle of a bathroom being held aloft by the hand of G-d was revealed. Walter rebuilt the whole damn thing: floor, walls, ceiling, patched my roof, added a support beam. A 3-4 week job turned into a 10 week job. As anxious as he was to get the hell out of my house, he stayed as long as it took; he did it Walter-style.  

I'm not gonna lie; Walter was one handsome dude.  

Hunk!

He told me hilarious stories about clients trying to get too "friendly" with him.  Oh, my goodness. But, Walter was thoroughly smitten with his gorgeous wife Adrienne; he talked about her all the time.  I mean all the time.  I cannot imagine how lost she feels today.  And his son, who he was so, so proud of.  

It's damn sad. Why him? 

Walter, everybody who ever met you will never, ever forget you.