Just before the advent of autumn, our beautiful son and
brother Lucas Martino drifted away from us on September 11, 2015. Days
like this should never exist. He was 16
years old. He left behind his brother Antonio, his sister Giuliana, his
mother Alicia, and his father Rodrigo, numerous family and friends, and his
beloved little dog Roxy.
Lucas was a stunning prince and an unflagging fighter, and
we learned so much from his songs of love and beauty, and of dreams, peace and
hope. His music was always filled with the incredible joy he felt for
life. There are not enough words in the universe to contain and express
what Lucas was as a son and as a person, what he meant to everybody and
everyone of us; and what wonderful and irreplaceable human being Lucas always
was.
The death of Lucas means the loss of more than just a
precious life and an inimitable son. It
represents the undoing devastating and dreadful loss of future experiences and
future hopes. No one of us was prepared
for the overwhelming and sudden loss of Lucas Martino. We all learned painfully when it happens,
that our world and our lives were changed forever, and the grief and anguish we
are feeling is acute and lasting, something that will never go away.
Lucas always loved to be in motion. Before he was
born, he was constantly moving in his mother's womb, he could not wait to get
out! As a baby, he could be held close only in his sleep. As soon
as he could stand, he was jumping and grabbing, and as soon as he could walk,
he was running in all directions. Then as he grew, he went into baseball,
soccer, flag football and music. He played in Cooperstown, NY and made it to
the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame. Lucas was known for his speed
and "running like the wind", so later it was flag football, track
& field, and then wrestling and football. Most recently, he proudly wore
jersey number 12 for the Wakefield Warriors. He was a member of the
Wakefield Madrigals, and taught himself to play piano, wrote lyrics, gave birth
to incredible music, and he was unbeatable at Call of Duty, Sonic, Mario Party,
and he was indeed the best architect in Minecraft.
Lucas was also very smart, deeply intelligent, resourceful,
ambitious, determined, and so much more, a colossal angel of a human being.
As he grew, he built a new and tougher personality: a wonderful
personality of cool, of fun, of good looks and fashion, one of hard work and
very high goals, always shooting for those stars at the very end of the galaxy,
over there in Sector 4. He made so many friends; he planted countless
smiles on every face that crossed his path; he gave his abundant love in the
most unselfish way to anyone who needed a friend or a caring shoulder to cry
on. He was always helping others, and always searching for new ways on
how he could be a better person, a better friend; and he did this untiringly
and relentlessly because what Lucas really wanted, more than anything else in the
universe was just to be happy.
He often said that he wasn't hungry, but he ate like a lion.
For a person who did not like chicken, he sure ate a lot of McChickens
accompanied by the never absent chocolate chip frappé. His sweet tooth
followed him everywhere, and when he did not find cookies or brownies, he baked
them himself. He had a soul for little ones; we know this because he was
a real magnet for little kids. Every time he babysit for someone, or when
we visited family, the little kids flocked to him in a hurry because he would
spend countless hours making them happy, helping them to weave dreams of
castles and fairies, and to produce unbelievable amounts of giggles and laughs.
It was hard for him to leave them because these children stuck to him
like peanut butter with honey.
Lucas, you taught us to drink from a river of serene
silence; for us to say what we think with clear words. If anyone knew
this, that was Lucas Martino. You taught us the meaning of joy and that
is why we feel a deep pain today, not solely because you have left us, but
because we will be so irremediably alone without you. You also taught us
that in spite of the pain, we must stand with a bright smile on our faces, just
as you always did.
Farewell beloved son and brother. It just takes a
second to learn to love you, but now we know it is going to take us forever to
say goodbye. It is difficult to say goodbye to you Lucas because you came
into our lives with love and without haste, but you left us too quickly.
Now you are free to go to all those places you dreamed of; you are now
free to visit all the ethereal spaces you always wanted to visit; now you are
free to pursue your beautiful dreams without the shackles of a ghostly life.
There is no need to send postcards to us Lucas because you will always be
in our loving memories.
Now, Lucas is finally at rest and in peace, and we hold him
close within us. Please hold him close, as we do, in your mind, your heart
and spirit. Remember the powerful meaning of his life. We will
remember his undying smile, his eternal warmth, his exuberant energy, and his
immense love for life, family and friends. Lucas made always a positive
difference in the lives of so many people.
Lucas Martino steered with success the dangerous journey of
his own birth, and once more; he set forth on a voyage of endless freedom and
discovery to where he always wanted to go: To Infinity and Beyond.
We invite you to join us and celebrate together our beloved
Lucas Martino.