Remembering Photographer of Honduran Garifuna Heritage, Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr

Mr. Mena Sr was 78 Years Old When He Passed Away in 2020

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Copyright 2021 by Teofilo Colon Jr (a.k.a. “Tio Teo” or T.O. Tayo). All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.

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Brooklyn, New York: Most of this post was written last year when it was announced that Photographer of Honduran Garifuna Heritage, Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr had died.

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Working with the family, I was able to learn various biographical details of Mr. Mena’s Life that I thought readers may have related to. In the rush of funeral arrangements, the biography was overlooked and I didn’t get to publish it at the time.

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Mr. Mena Sr was a beloved figure in New York City. I remember attending Mr. Mena’s wake in Brooklyn in 2020 and having gotten there late. There were all sorts of regulations due to the Coronavirus and the resulting Social Distancing Mandates which limited how many people could attend a wake or other Large Gatherings in New York City.

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Well, when I had gotten there, an older, short Latin American lady also arrived. When we approached the Ponce Funeral Home on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, the doors were closed and appeared to be locked. When it looked like we wouldn’t be able to enter, this lady, shrank in size a bit, sighed and was visibly upset at the prospect of not being able to pay her respects.

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Fortunately, someone inside the Funeral Home saw us, opened the door and let us in. The Latin American Lady immediately brightened up.

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PHOTO CAPTION: La Novena Mass Schedule as well as 2021 Memorial Mass for Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr.

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Latin American (Central American and South American) organizations and Garifuna organizations all hired Mr. Mena to photograph their events and upon reading this posting, they’ll learn more about the life of this beloved man.

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After a year in mourning, a series of La Novena Prayer Masses took place over the course of nine days. The La Novena masses led up to a Mass commemorating one year since the Death of Mr. Mena Sr, in the Catholic Religious Tradition.

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ABOUT Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr

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Marcos L. Mena Sr, a photographer of Honduran #Garifuna Heritage, who earned praise for his photography of Latin American and Caribbean communities in New York City and the overall Tri-State area, has joined the ancestors.

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Mr. Mena’s family has confirmed that he had secondary cancer and transitioned on Tuesday, December 8th 2020. Marcos Sr was 78 years old.

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TEXT FOR PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in an undated portrait photo.

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While Marcos Leopoldo Mena Sr was born on November 15th 1942 to Pascual Medina (of Santa Rosa de Aguan, Honduras) and Fidencia Gertrudis David-Mena (of Trujillo, Honduras) a homemaker who also sold food in local marts—in Santa Rosa de Aguan, Honduras, he spent his youth in Trujillo, Honduras and La Ceiba, Honduras.

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Sadly, his biological father wasn’t a major part of his life and didn’t raise him. However, Mr. Mena’s stepfather, Mauricio Gyllen Loredo, a Merchant Marine, stepped in and was a seminal influence on him. In fact, Mr. Mena remembered his stepfather fondly.

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Siblings of Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr

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Maternal Siblings:

• Feliciano Mena
• Petrona Mercedes Solis
• Lorenzo Arriola

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Paternal Siblings:

• Victor Medina-Arriola
• Saul Medina
• Ostin Medina
• Agripina Garcia
• Alba Juliana Medina-Arriola
• Sulma Medina
• Francisco Lisandro Medina
• Gladys Medina
• Luisa Medina

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Childhood of Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr.

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In his youth, Marcos (nicknamed Poldo or Poldito, from his Middle name, Leopoldo or Gunga from the movie Gunga Din) was known for his inventiveness and his optimistic disposition despite his challenging upbringing in poverty.

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Marcos earned a diploma from a Honduran Vocational Technical School in 1963 and ached for an opportunity to pursue his trade.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr’s Honduras High School Diploma. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in The United States of America

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Fortunately, Marcos was able to secure a work Visa in the United States of America courtesy of his aunt, Maria Mercedes “Chi-Chi” Ruiz, who sponsored him, enabling Marcos a chance at the American Dream.

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Fluent in three languages (Garifuna, Spanish and English), adjusting to life in America, while considerable, may not have been as much of a challenge for him as it would have been for other fellow Hondurans or Central Americans.

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Arriving in the United States of America in 1969, Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr settled in Harlem, Manhattan in New York City; where he often attended the weekly Amateur Night Contest at The World Famous Apollo Theater.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mena Family Portrait in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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He eventually moved on to Brownsville, Brooklyn and the neighboring East New York section of Brooklyn, New York City upon getting married to elementary school teacher Eda Alvarez, who is a Garifuna from La Ceiba, Honduras in 1973. The marriage took place after a TEN year (!!!) courtship period.

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Marcos got a job as a ship fitter with the Coastal Dry Dock and Repair Company at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. There, he manufactured or assembled the structural parts of a ship.

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Marcos L. Mena Sr at a Shipyard. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Marcos was the guy the company sent to do the difficult jobs. While there, he earned notoriety for his wizardly welding skills and ingeneuity, often inventing brand new parts for ships to use.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Marcos L. Mena Sr at a Shipyard. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Marcos measuring skills were formidable, with his math enabling him to measure with precision. His daughter Lorraine remembers,

“I hated asking him about work because it always turned into a mathematical problem I needed to solve!”

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PHOTO CAPTION: Marcos L. Mena Sr at a Shipyard. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Family was central to Marcos’s life. In fact, it was prioritized over everything else. Some of his philosophy regarding family can be attributed to his less than ideal family upbringing.

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Marcos’s biological father didn’t raise him, and while he fondly remembered his stepfather, Marcos’s stepfather and mother separated, which affected the family greatly.

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Seeing how tough life was for his mother once his stepfather left the family, Marcos vowed to his mother on her deathbed that he would be a better man and NEVER abandon his family. As we will soon see, Marcos’s devotion to his family knew no bounds.

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As a vibrant, young man, Marcos developed an intense liking of liquor, never missing an opportunity to drink with friends and family on festive or social occasions.

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Over time, Marcos could not resist the temptation to drink and that impulse turned into a personal demon he waged war with.

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Upon counsel with his cousin, Leopoldo “Popo” Garcia in Honduras and attending meetings with the Alcoholics Anonymous organization in New York City, he quit drinking alcohol in 1977.

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He never drank alcohol again, even if it was in cold medicine. Marcos took pride in the fact that his children didn’t witness (or remember) that phase of his life.

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Marcos often told the story of how he was on a beach in La Ceiba and was looking at the sunrise and sunset. He told himself that he wanted to see more sunsets and sunrises. Marcos felt so good, clear and healthy and never wanted to lose that feeling.

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Marcos became Treasurer for a Alcoholics Anonymous chapter in East New York, Brooklyn and was a sponsor to many others who were trying to quit drinking alcohol. His daughter, Lorraine Winfrey recalled, “I remember attending his sobriety anniversaries and he was so proud that he chose life instead of death.”

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Upon learning this, it’s no surprise to learn that Marcos lived by the Serenity Prayer, which was adopted and popularized by the Alcoholics Anonymous organization.

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“God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can and the WISDOM to know the difference.”

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Marcos had a pasion for self-improvement. This is demonstrated with the development of his photography, which started out as a hobby.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in action. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Marcos began by taking Photography classes at F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology) in Midtown Manhattan. Over time, he fed his passion for photography by attending the annual Photography Expo in New York.

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He constantly discussed techniques and various pieces of equipment like lenses and filters for example, with fellow Professional photographer colleagues. Marcos was careful to manipulate light, shadow and angles to produce better photo compositions.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr at The Miss Garifuna USA NY Cultural Pageant.

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Marcos was initially a part-time photographer who took photo gigs to supplement his income. He also used each gig as a form of expression.

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Marcos became a full-time photographer upon his retirement, focusing on Latin American and Caribbean communities in New York City and the overall tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut).

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PHOTO CAPTION: Man with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Marcos’s photography helped immortalize many people, from ordinary citizens to high-profile people like local and national politicians, athletes, entertainers and celebrities.

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They include, Former First Lady, Secretary of State and NY Senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton and NBA All-Star Professional Basketball Player and Rookie of the Year, Mark Jackson were some of the celebrities his lens transformed. Showing them to be the stars that they were.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Hillary Clinton and Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in an undated photo. Photo courtesy of The Mena Family.

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Over the years, Marcos earned plenty of praise for his photography and was awarded certificates of recognition by various Latin American and Caribbean civic community organizations. A partial list of organizations whose functions he photographed include:

• Latin Souls Baseball League
• Club Deportive Lempira
• Mujeres Garifuna en Marcha (MUGAMA)
• Hondureños Contra el Sida (Casa Yurumein)
• Wafagua New York
• The Chief Joseph Chatoyer Folkloric Garifuna Ballet of New York
• Mujeres Exitosas NY
• America de Quito New York (Ecuador)
• Moonlight Dewease Entertainment
• Liga Deportiva Estudiantil Solidaridad
• Latino NY Awards
• Guayaquil Independiente
• La Comitiva del Carnaval de Barranquilla en New York
• Premios Hispanos de la Musica Latina
• Premios Unidad – Ecuadorian Music Awards
• Unidad Organizacions Hondureña Catracha USA
• SHANY (Sociedad Hondureña Activa de New York)
• Garifuna Coalition USA Inc

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr holds up an award from a local Soccer League.

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Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr photographed Soccer Games, Youth Baseball League Games, Softball League Games, Baptisms, Weddings, Galas, Banquets, Meetings, Milestone Birthday Parties, Quinceara Birthday Parties, Sweet Sixteen Birthday Parties, Coronation Galas, Parades, Festivals, Cultural Pageants, Beauty Pageants, Concerts, Political Fund-Raisers, Modeling Workshops, Press Conferences, and various other Events.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Unidentified Man with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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Over the course of the last year, family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr’s continued to pay tribute to his life by sharing selfie photos and videos featuring Mr. Mena onto his Facebook profile.

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Mr. Mena had an impact in real life as these selfie or video tributes suggest.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr with Jose Francisco Avila of The Garifuna Coalition at their Fundraising Gala. Photo by Teofilo Colon Jr for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved.

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PHOTO CAPTION: El Sheriff with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr at the 2010 Honduran Central American Independence Festival in the Bronx.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr with Mr. Marcelino “Don Marasa” Fernandez at the 2011 Honduras Central American Independence Festival at Crotona Park in the Bronx. Photo by Teofilo Colon Jr for Being Garifuna.

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Having made a new life for himself in The United States of America, Marcos also involved himself in various business ventures.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Former Miss Garifuna USA NY Cultural Pageant Winners with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr. Photo by Teofilo Colon Jr for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Man poses with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in a selfie. Date unknown. Photo from Facebook.

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America is the land of capitalism and Marcos attempted to take full advantage of that fact. Marcos sold homeopathic medicines, fluids for car mileage, packaged food, multi-level marketing ventures and finally, coffee.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Omar Babakle Suazo with Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr in an undated photo. Photo from Facebook.

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Relatives who have preceded Marcos in death include:

• Pascual Medina (Biological Father)
• Fidencia Gertrudis David-Mena (Mother)
• Feliciano Mena (Brother)
• Maria Mercedes “Chi-Chi” Ruiz (Aunt)
• Tomas Medina-Morales (Nephew)
• Lorenzo Arriola (Brother)
• Rene J. Mena Jr (Cousin – Victim of The Happy Land Social Club Fire of 1990)

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Marcos L. Mena Sr is survived by his wife Eda Mena, two children, Marcos L. Mena Jr and Lorraine Suyapa Winfrey, Daughter in Law, Grandchildren, as well as relatives too numerous to name here.

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They say that you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears. In this instance, Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr’s two children, Marcos Jr (a Manager at Brooklyn’s Steiner Studios) and Lorraine Winfrey (Educator for over 25 Years for The New York Department of Education) have both turned out to be productive members of society while raising their own families and being exemplary representatives of the family.

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Marcos Leopoldo Mena Sr was known to be the consumate professional in all of his activities. His eye for beauty and expression of humanity expressed through his photography touched all who encountered him.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Honduran Consulate, Mr. Marcos L. Mena Sr, Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr, Jose Francisco Avila and Unidentified Lady.

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Whenever I encountered Mr. Mena at various Garifuna events in New York City, he always had a kind word and technical photographic advice for me. Blessed with a great smile and a warm personality, I will remember Mr. Mena with fondness.

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Marcos’s creative energy, active imagination and overall resourcefulness served him well in life and is something we can all learn from. Beiba ameragua/Ameragua lau ñuruguou, Don Mena, “Go Rest/Rest In Peace, Don Mena” in the Garifuna Language.