On behalf of the Acosta family, we'd like to thank everyone for sharing this special time with us. While our hearts are heavy and filled with sorrow, your presence here today makes us feel so blessed and fortunate to share this special moment with family and
friends.
It is though God's guidance and spirit that Nino, as his family and close friends called him, was able to touch so many, many lives with his loving, caring, supportive and fun-spirited personality. He truly embodied the saying “There is only one happiness in this life and that is to love and be loved." He showed that every day in his dealings with people. In the 41 years of marriage, I rarely saw Nino angry or depressed. He was just a go-lucky guy with an enduring spirit.
He loved music and music was in his heart. He was most happy when he was writing songs and playing with his band at various venues in Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland, Dickenson, Liberty, Channelview, Alvin, Sealy and numerous other gigs he had during his lifetime. He was always personable and shared this love with every person he met. He was loved by so many. This is so evident in the outpouring of love and financial support our family has received from so many, many friends he encountered during his short time on this earth.
Nino was a very special person. He was my rock and was always happy to attend to my needs. We were partners and did everything together; two peas in a pot. We enjoyed cuddling on the sofa watching movies or discussing politics. Our quiet time was always interrupted by Xiomi. She would come in and say, "Oh no Wela no more Trumpas. Tu quieres puro Trump, Trump, Trump. She hates politics. She would say "It's now my play time." When it wasn't Xiomi, it was Popos (Zaiden). He would say, "Wela it's my turn to
take the remote and entertain us with Doby Brothers or Royalty Family time. There were many times when Nino and I spent numerous hours during holidays, weekends and evenings doing carpentry, plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, mowing, painting, and numerous other projects together. We were a functional team. The only drawback was that I never got paid or earned overtime pay for all my hard work. But we enjoyed our time together. And I learned a lot during the process. He also enjoyed his time with his grandchildren, Jaylen, Zaiden and Xiomi. Every Wednesday it was Chick-fil-A day. He would pick up his grandchildren from school every day, but on Wednesdays, it was special bonding time (Chick-Fil-A time). Xiomi missed out a lot because she went to a school that was so far out and could not come, but
sometimes, she joined them. If for some reason Nino was not able to pick them up from school, Jaylen kept track of how many Wednesdays they missed going to Chick-Fil-A. And, the next time she saw him she would say, "Welo don't forget you owe us three days at Chick-Fil-A."
Nino served many roles, he was the primary caregiver and financial supporter for his dad until he died November 4, 2010. Him and his dad were inseparable and did many things together. There were, however, many times when he felt defeated/hurt after having struggled with his dad's stubbornness when he did not want to take his medication and through the many visits to the hospital, but he never changed his demeanor and always treated his dad with much love and respect and hung in there with him with grace until the final days of his dad's life. Nino only had one wish in life, that when he passed to the other life, he wanted to be buried next to his dad. Tomorrow, with God's will, we will grant him his wish.
Nino also became the financial supporter/manager for his mother who lives in Mexico and is 83 years old. On December 7, 2015, when tragedy struck close to home and his brother and sister-in-law died instantly in Zacatecas, Mexico, he agreed to help his orphaned nieces and nephew financially until they were grown and could support themselves. A support that continues today.
But the most remarkable thing about Nino, was that he was a self-taught musician, music composer, carpenter, electrician, plumber, HVAC technician, small engine repair man, mechanic, professional lawn care man, builder and even a dog walker. There were many days when he and I worked endlessly on projects we enjoyed doing together. He had ar intriguing mind. He liked challenges and it fascinated him to learn new things. There
that he couldn't do and, if he did not know how to fix something, he spent hours on the internet reading until he found a solution.
I was so blessed to have shared my life with him. He knew that "Life was a song - he sang it. Life was a game – he played it. Life was a dream – he realized it. Life was a sacrifice - he offered it. Life was love - he lived it to the fullest and enjoyed it.
Today, we say goodbye for now but not forever. I am certain he is in a better place and can now play music for all the angels in heaven who will be dancing around to his tunes. I know that heaven will be a better place with him there. He will live in eternity and will save the last dance for me until such time that we meet again. Babe, I will miss you forever.
With Love,
Your wife Maria T. Acosta