Reynaldo Peter Delgado, 57, of St. Petersburg, FL, passed away on Sunday, August 15, 21016, at the Bay Pines VA Hospital in Bay Pines, FL.  He was born in the Bronx, New York and moved to St. Petersburg in 1974 from New York City.

Reynaldo Peter Delgado, also known as “Rey” by all of his family and friends was born the number 5 of 11 children. As a boy, he showed entrepreneurialism as he enjoyed baking and selling cupcakes and snow cones in New York when he was 10 or 11. By the time he was age 14, Reynaldo was involved in gymnastics, at which he excelled greatly.

In the years following, he moved with his family to Florida and at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army and served his country as a paratrooper. Reynaldo has always desired to serve his country since he was a young child. Unfortunately, after his third year of service, he was honorably discharged due to an injury he sustained during a training exercise.

Reynaldo spent the later years of his life doing the things he loved. He was very creative and one of the things he enjoyed was making flower arrangements.  He loved to brighten the days for other people in any way he could and used his talent for floral arrangements to do so.

He had a very kind and loving heart and he enjoyed expressing it.  He always had a cheerful smile on his face, especially when he was with his grandchildren.  He absolutely enjoyed spending time with them and doting on them.  In the eyes of his family and friends and all whose hearts he touched, Reynaldo will always be remembered as a happy, fun-loving, good-hearted son, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend.  Reynaldo will remain in our hearts, forever loved and dearly missed.

He was preceded in death by his father, Roberto; brothers, Willis, Nester and Noel; and his sister, Maribel.  He is survived by his mother, Virginia; his sons, Michael, Michael Paul, Anthony and Steven; brothers, Edwin, and Joel (Lisha); sisters, Irma (Mike), Brunilda and Jeannie; and three grandchildren.

A Memorial Service with Military Honors will be held at 12:45PM on Friday, August 26, 2016, at Bay Pines National Cemetery.  He will be interred there following the service.

I AM FREE

(This poem is attributed to various authors and various titles.)

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,

I’m following the path God laid for me.

I took his hand when I heard his call,

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work, to play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way,

I’ve found that peace at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

Ah yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My Life’s been full, I savored much,

Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all to brief.

Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your heart and share with me,

God wanted me now, He set me free.