If you knew José later in his adult life, you likely knew that he was a great lover of art of all kinds–most notably various performing arts and blown glass–and he was also incredibly proud of the many pieces he had personally collected. As I've just shared on the blog, this month I will be organizing an online auction to fulfill the last remaining request from José's final wishes: for much of that art to be used to raise funds for an internship program in his honor at Hawai‘i Public Radio....
5 days ago • 1 min read
You may remember (and have contributed to) the crowdfunding campaign that helped us purchase and install a ceiling lift during the summer of 2023 when José was barely able to stand and transfers were becoming incredibly taxing and dangerous–for both of us. I'm happy to share that it was recently removed and gifted to another family here on Oahu. This update was also just posted to the blog with a few photos. Also sharing a reminder that the online auction that was initially planned for May...
10 days ago • 1 min read
To all of the amazing humans of #TeamJosé, While I wasn't part of the gathering, I've received numerous messages from family and friends recounting how much José would have enjoyed having so many people he loved all in one room together. Thank you for sharing your stories and remembrances, for making time, and for your presence. Big thanks to José's children and siblings for honoring his final wishes and for all the planning and legwork. We are also incredibly grateful to Central Florida...
2 months ago • 1 min read
The day is finally here. Friends, family, and colleagues will gather at Central Florida Public Media (formerly WMFE) from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. for a second celebration of life. If you're in a timezone outside of Florida, that's about two hours from now. As some of you know, I made the difficult decision not to be there today. For anyone else who cannot be there in person, for any reason, you're invited to take a few minutes to remember José today: sit with your favorite memories, light a candle,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
As you might have guessed from the six-week lag since the last update on Team José, I'm still struggling a bit to juggle everything. That said, I do have an exciting update to share! Last week we received the official notification from the IRS that our application as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has been approved. We'll share more about what that means soon, but we wanted to celebrate this milestone with all of you who have followed along as part of Team José. The second update is that...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, It's been a couple of months since our last update and there are a number of things brewing that we want to share with you. This will be a quick note with more details to come. REMINDER: a celebration of Life in Orlando, FL, will be hosted at Central Florida Public Media (fka WMFE) on Saturday, June 28, 2025 from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Many of you have already RSVP'd. Please feel free to share this link with friends, family, and colleagues who may have missed our previous...
5 months ago • 1 min read
For those who may have missed the initial save the date announcement, a celebration of life for José A. Fajardo will be hosted in Orlando on Saturday, June 28, 2025. If you already responded with your name and contact info, we've added you to the contact list for the event. If you haven't already done that, you may RSVP here to be notified as additional details are finalized: https://teamjose.com/rsvp We are also working on other ways to honor José's legacy and will be in touch again soon....
7 months ago • 1 min read
❤️🩹 Please forgive this belated and blunt update. I'm shamefully late sharing this news here, but for those who haven't yet received the news, after five years of living with ALS José is finally at peace. A bit more has just been posted to the #TeamJosé blog and your remembrances will be shared there soon, too. https://teamjose.com · 1631 Kapiolani Blvd Apt 1006, Honolulu, HI 96814Unsubscribe · Preferences
8 months ago • 1 min read
Whether you're a regular reader of the blog, have supported our GoFundMe, helped out as a lunch buddy, shared our story, responded to any of the advocacy opportunities we've shared, or are connected in any way – we would love to send you a José fan! Find out how in our latest update. https://teamjose.com · 1631 Kapiolani Blvd Apt 1006, Honolulu, HI 96814Unsubscribe · Preferences
10 months ago • 1 min read