On March 10th, 2020, we lost Tino, one of America’s greatest public servants and a native New Yorker who devoted his life to serving the people of NY. Tino’s career spanned several state and city administrations. He held numerous high-level positions in government and the not-for-profit sector. He left an incredible mark on the city he so loved.
In 2018, Tino retired from Samaritan Daytop Village. During his tenure at SDV Tino diversified the organization's portfolio, expanded its footprint throughout New York City, Long Island and upstate New York, and grew the budget from $23 million to approximately $200 million. Tino was proud to see his vision realized before retiring; however, he was most proud to know that he left a place “Where Good Lives” helping thousands of New Yorkers for years to come.
Growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Brownsville East New York, Tino was immersed in NYC culture from birth. He knew every corner, every neighborhood, every street of this spectacular city —and all the stories behind them. We often recall his interesting and in-depth knowledge of the city’s rich history… if only there were a Tino Map of NYC!
More than his public accomplishments, Tino is remembered by everyone who loved him for his deep sense of purpose and the strength of his character. With everything he did, he sought to help others, both those he loved and all his fellow New Yorkers. Tino had many highlights in his career. His connections were many and deep, and no matter how far his career took him, he remained humble and accessible to all. By the very force of his charisma and magnetic personality, Tino engendered so many anecdotes that everyone has their own “Tino story.”
At home, we called him papa, dad, daddy and Tio Tino. These were his best roles in life. He was a doting husband to his wife, Lymaris. He was a beloved father to Jessica Meryl and Florentino Jr., a relationship of deep love and respect. His children are his greatest legacy and he was proud and honored to be their dad. He was particularly close with his nieces, who recall his shining example and warm, loving hugs. To our family, he was our rock, the person we could always count on.
Today, our family pays tribute to Tino and we welcome you to be part of this Remembrance Day on the first year of his passing. We are eternally grateful to all of you, who love him, who remember him and will keep his legacy alive. We want to thank those that have been side by side the family during a very difficult time. We thank you for your support, your words of encouragement and your unwavering commitment to honor Tino, today and forever.
We look forward to the day when we can all come together, celebrate his legacy and take comfort in sharing what Tino meant to all of us. We know he was your trusted colleague, a loyal friend, and mentor to many. We kindly ask that you share this message with those whom we may have not have reached today, and who may want to pay tribute to Tino.
Sincerely,
The Hernandez Family
