REMEMBERING YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY  / Marilyn McDonnell (Friend)

Dear Andre

I'm remembering you this morning on your Birthday and of all the good times we had together with your Mother.  You will always be greatly missed. 

Your buddy Marilyn

Close

Help me through this difficult times  / Mary Your Mom
Andre, I whish you were here to talk.   I wonder what would you tell me to do.  Love mom. Close

Your 3rd Anniversary  / Mary Your Mom
Dear Andre, we celebrated your anniversary today.  3 years since you been gone.   Grace and Natalie were there along with your cousing Tony and Daniel his friend.  Also Lori and her daghter Gina, my friend Graciela and Art and me were there in the morning.     We shared stories about you.  Sarah was there in the afternoon we visited and your Aunt Mary also stop by to see you.   You are loved by a lot of people and we all miss you very much.     I know you are with our Lord and you watch over us.   You are always in my thoughts and in my heart.    Love Mom. Close

Christmas Memorial Celebration  / Mary Your Mom
Hi Andre:  Today we had the Christmas Memorial with Parents of Murder Children.    It was nice to share this day with people that understand how I feel and that unfortunately have gone through the same loss I have.    The ornamet was a very nice Tree with your name, that Agnes made.   I got to see Iliana and her family.  I know that you and Ignacio are good friends and are watching over us.    It will be sad at Christmas not having you there.    I miss you and love you.   I will never forget you.  Love mom.  Close

Your Birthday Celebration  / Mary Your Mom
Dear Andre, we had a gathering in you honor on your birthday.   You will be happy to know that all  your family were there.    Natalie baked a cake for you and we had your favorite dish  "Pizza".   Another year without you.    I will keep your memory alive as long as I live.   I miss you and love you.  Your Mom. Close

Another road trip.  / Lori Sosa (Best Friend )

Hey Andre, we just got home. Vegas was fun and tragic, somehow I felt you there. As long as we have the 9 we will still always have laughlin thats for sure! I miss you there, your number just wouldn't come up?! I know for sure that you would be here all the time keeping me company and telling me things will be alright.  Gina is going to start Kindergarten tomorrow so please keep watch over her. She's such a sweetie and you know how i worry!!!...well, I still miss you very much and I still can't believe that you're gone but I feel your warmth with me as I go along every day and I can't wait to see your beautiful face again. It's a long wait but if that's all it takes...well. Love you lots, BFF, Lorie <3

Close

Need you  / Mary Your Mom

Andre I need you to give me streght at this difficult time in my life.   I know that I can get through this thinking you are right next to me. 

Close

We need your Strength  / Mary Your Mom
Andre please give us your strength to get through these difficult times.  You were always strong and got though a lot in your short life.   You were always there for others and help them through bad times, help us now that we need you.    Guide the ones that love you to see what is best for them at this time in their lives.   Sometimes the answers are right in front of us and we can't see them.    Love Mom. Close

2nd Anniversary  / Mary Your Mom
Andre, today we had a mass for you and went to visit you.   You will never be forgoten.    I have you always in my thoughts.   I miss you and love you  Please watch over me and give me strength.   Love mom. Close

Merry Christmas  / Mary Your Mom
Dear Andre:  Another Christmas without you.   Christmas will never be the same.  I miss you and wish you were here.   I know you are with our Lord in a better place celebrating with him.   Look after me and your grandfather.   Love Mom. Close

You were missed at Vanessa's Engagement Party  / Mary Your Mom

Hi Andre, Vanessa got engaged and all your cousins were there.   It would have been so nice to see you there dancing with Sarah.  I thought about what would you have said at the party.  I miss you

Close

Happy Birthday!  / Mary Your Mom
Dear Andre:   We went to mass today in your honor and Sean, Toni, Auntie Grace, Abuelo and me went to the cementery brought you flowers and visited for a while.   It was a sad day without you.  We all miss you.   We miss your jokes, your laugh, your handsome face. I miss you and love you.   Mom. Close

Victims advocate training  / Mary Your Mom
Hi Andre you would be very proud of me, I finish the training for Victims Advocate.    I will be helping people in my same situation in your name.   You will never be forgoten.   I miss you, next week is your birthday . . . I wish you were here to celebrate.  Love Mom Close

Hi Guy  / Art Barela (Stepfather)

Hi  Andre,
I know its been awhile since my last visit, 
and my visits have been short. It is not that I don't think of you. I do often, and I know others do also, but it is so painful to think of you not being here with us. And to think that some bastard took you from us. He is a cowardly bastard, this killer that took your life , for he could not know love. I know they will find him and bring him to justice. Your mom will make sure of that! I know you are very proud of her for not letting them forget your case. and she never will. I know as well as you we had our good times and our bad times together and I choose to remember the good times.
I remember the time the 1st time I saw you with your silly grin. It was at the LA fitness, your mom and I play'd raquetball. I remember your mom and I's wedding and you in your tux and how handsome you looked.  Street hockey and basketball games in the Chino Hills home. I remember visiting you in your class room in grade school and how well behaved & embarressed you were. I remember our visits to Palm Springs, And when you and Brandon crashed the L.A. Angels interview and we watched you on tv from our hotel room. I will never forget your first horse back ride as an expert.
I remember us playing racketball and how proud you were when you would beat me. the baseball games, the flag football day's, your skiing trips to Big Bear when you would ski on one ski. I remember you and Brandon playing street hockey in the Chino Hills home. I rememeber your your first experiance on an ATC flipping over backwards and also when you and Brandon later in years would go to the top of the mtn on motorcycles. And our experiance of deep sea fisihing in Avila beach when you helped me pull in the jack pot fish and the excitement in your eyes even though you were sea sick. Our vacation to San Francisco going to dinner and the chinese waiter ordering us fried lice.. 
I remember your 1st car the Saturn, your first motrcycle, our visits to the L.A. Fair with myself and your mom. I remember your excitement when you and your father would share time together. And I also remember the pain you suffered  when he passed away, and also again when your grandmother passed . I know the anger and the pain you felt when you thought of these things, for this pain will never go away for us, missing you every day of our life.This is why, we tend not to want to think or talk about these things between the people who love you so much. I know this is wrong,

Andre,
     you will never be forgotten!

Close

One of the Good Guys  / Brandon Neher (Friend)
Andre was one of the good guys... My condolences and prayers are with his family.  He was a positive, enthusiastic individual who had no enemies.  It is a shame to have him taken from us in this way, but he is in a better place now looking down on all of us... Close

As time passes by  / Your Mom
Hi Andre time continues to pass and I still miss you the same or more.    You will never be forgoten as long as I live you will always live in my heart.    You have a lot of people that Love you and miss you.  Abuelo wrote your name on the house gate.   He misses you very much.  Please watch over us we need to keep strong.  Love Mom. Close

El dolor de una madre...  / Ileana Ignacio Rattaro's Mom (Mary's friend )
Querida Mary, encontré este texto que a mi criterio explica textualmente lo que sentimos. Espero te guste...

Me vas a ver sonreir,
lo que no vas a verme es gritar detrás de esa sonrisa.

Me vas a ver trabajando, yendo de compras o simplemente viviendo en general,
lo que no vas a verme es poner ni una milésima parte de mi energía, solo puede respirar.

Me vas a ver solo con mis pensamientos,
lo que no vas a verme es hablar con él.
Me vas a verme diciendo "Estoy bien",
lo que no vas a ver es el inmenso agujero de mi corazón que nunca podrá llenarse.

Me vas a mirar y a pensar "ella está volviendo a la normalidad,
lo que no vas a ver es que ya nada será normal para mi.

Me vas a mirar y a pensar "Oh Dios, ojalá esto nunca me suceda a mi",
lo que no vas a ver es que cuanto más cerca tuyo esté, más me entenderás... aunque yo también espero que nunca te suceda a vos.

Me vas a ver haciendo bromas o riéndome con otros y pensar "Ella ya ha superado todo lo que le pasó",
lo que no vas a ver es que NUNCA podré olvidar, uno nunca supera la muerte de un hijo.

Me vas a ver triste, sin saber que hacer o decir para hacerme seguir adelante,
lo que no vas a ver es que lo yo realmente necesito es que estés.

Lo que vas a ver es que la vida continua,
lo que no vas a ver es que a partir del 18 de Marzo de 2007, la vida que yo tenia NUNCA más será la misma.

Me vas a ver fuerte... no te engañes,
lo que no vas a ver es que estoy debil y cansada. La mayor parte de los dias estoy a tan solo 1 metro del abismo.

Lo que vas a ver es una máscara, una mentira,
la máscara te ayuda a lidiar conmigo y a su vez me ayuda a mi a lidiar conmigo misma.

Me vas a verme hablar de este insoportable y cruel dolor,
lo que no vas a ver es que ese insoportable y cruel dolor es el que me impide respirar.

Me vas a ver desesperada,
lo que no vas a verme es gritar al cielo y a Dios que me devuelva a mi hijo.

Todo lo que no puedas ver nunca lo entenderás, a menos que camines solamente unos metros adentro de MIS zapatos.


Close

Circunstancias de la vida.....  / Ileana Ignacio Rattaro's Mom (Mary's friend )
Querido Andre,  Siento mucho haberte conocido en estas circunstancias. me hubiera gustado conocerte antes de ese tragico dia, estoy segura, por lo poco que se de vos, que te hubieras llevado muy bien con mi hijos, en especial con Ignacio, aunque no me caben dudas de que vos y él se juntan a diario para hacer alguna que otra travesura. No dejes nunca de guiar a tu mamá, ella te necesita como nadie puede imaginarse, necesita saberte cerca para poder seguir adelante.

Ileana. Close

Your Mother's Birthday  / Auntie Grace
Hi Andre,  your Mom's birthday is coming up in a few days and she is having a hard time because you are not here with her to celebrate.  Please help us find a way to cheer her up.  We know she will never be the same because she lost the love of her life (YOU) but we want her to know we are here for her. She is not alone during this difficult time in her life.   Her family loves her and we worry about her.   I know you wish the same for her Andre and I know you are watching over her right now.  She needs you more than ever Andre. 

We miss you Andre and we wish you were her with us now. Please watch over your Mom.  We love you! Close

Reminising your good times at Santa Barbara  / Mary Your Mom
Dear Andre I had a good visit with Sarah this weekend.  Spending time with Sarah makes me feel close to you.   Visiting the places we used to go eat and where we used to stay made me happy but also sad   that we will never be together again.   I miss you and love you.

Close