By Noel Serrano
One of the great things that a man or woman can experience is when they have a brother that watches your back. a Brother that is totally devoted and totally trusting. This clearly describes to the fullest measure, my beloved Brother Irving. He was a chubby, shy toddler who had a very unique way of going up the stairs at the age of three. He would sit on the first step and slowly rise up only to sit again on the second step. On and on, he went till he climbed all the way to the top of the staircase. When he wanted to go down the stairs, he did the same procedure in a much more careful and methodical manner. Irving realized that going down the stairs was quite a challenge but he always found a way to reach his destination. Irving grew to love and respect all his brothers and sisters and he paid particular attention to the two younger siblings. The bond of trust began at the childhood stage with a series of classic experiences that were shared with the younger brothers. Irving grew in an atmosphere of competition with the brothers and he began to struggle at times because he always seemed as if he had so much to say but he always had to wait his turn because all the other brothers had also many things to do and say. The consistent attribute of Irving was his willingness to wait his turn. His most notable trait was in diplomacy. If Irving was a country...He would be Switzerland! As a young man, he demonstrated a capacity of an engineer. He loved to build things and make electrical gadgets that were often ahead of their time. There were times when I asked him ,"Irv, I need you to place a red light at the very top of my Bedroom door and I need a button that will snap it on and off and I want it to blink" Irving, always the obedient one, would run to Dad's Tool Shop and complete the project in several hours. I quickly relied heavily on his ability to invent all the gadgets that we needed to play with during those seemingly endless Summer Months. So you see, the bond of trust and mutual cooperation began many years ago. As young boys, we always sat together in La Sinagoga in New York. Mom would often dress us identical until we put a stop to that. Irving enjoyed the part of the service when the Choir was ready to sing. They would stand and in a slow , regimented manner, they would form a train-like march towards the front of the altar where they would sing their beloved classic songs. Irving and I would say "tren, tren, tren, tren " until our Dad would quiet us with one of his famous "Pats" on our heads. During those years we would relate and pretend that we were the Characters on Dragnet and Star Trek. Irving was the best Sidekick in the world. I remember the long summers riding bike, building Go-Karts, and establishing clubs where he was always the one that would build whatever was needed. My late brother Frank once said of Irving..."If we can open up the head of Irving, you would find computer gears and sprockets blinking and turning endlessly" It's true! I remember, we needed a working refrigerator in the basement so we could place the bottle of milk that we quietly borrowed from the big refrigerator in the kitchen. Irving took an old silver box Cooler and placed a small fan and then we filled the cooler with ice and it worked well.It is no wonder that we never blew up the basement with all of the adventures we had as young boys. As we grew, Irving began to sway away and orbited with friends that were going a different direction. One of the major reasons why our parents moved the family to Florida in 1977 was to get Irving as far away from entanglements that were not helpful to him. There were some tough times for Irving as he grew to become a man, But God was always there to help him find his way. In the early 80s, I had just presented my Dad with a Gala Award for being the Exemplary Man that he was to all of us. (There is a Video that shows this moment)..and as I looked around the room... I saw my brother Irving sitting right next to me.. and I recall as if it were yesterday..."We honor him today and we will continue to honor many..I know , I see many who deserve this Award!" And I quietly glanced at my Brother Irving. That was in 1986. My Brother Irving was always eager to help me with the Family Organization, even at its infancy. He began writing beautiful articles for the original Family Times Publication (The Paper version) He would always be ready and willing to come to the aid of the Foundation. When Irving moved to Pennsylvania, we continued to stay in touch with letters and phone conversations. The bond of loyalty and trust remained intact. When Gala opened shop on the Internet, I wanted Irving to join with me in a more Official capacity and he quickly agreed. Many years later, we now have hundreds of articles that he has written exclusively for the Gala Sites, both English and Spanish . He is an enormous Asset to me and I thank God for him. May God continue to bless my Brother Irving and his family. I want to thank him for his Service and Devotion to the cause that we both have labored in for many years. For the great memories that shaped us and prepared us to think of others and to think of the greater good. Irving Thanks for the Memories! I love you! I have a list of ideas for future inventions Lol We will talk very soon!
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