Carmen M. Acosta

Carmen Maria Marin Hernandez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on June 13, 1923 to Felipe Marin and Felicitas Hernandez. She grew up as the second oldest of seven children; she was a good student, especially in math, and aspired to be a nurse. However, she had to give up this dream in order to shoulder much of the family responsibility when her mother passed away in her early teenage years. She married Radames Acosta, a semi-pro baseball player and carpenter, also from Ponce, on November 6, 1943. They would spend 70 years of married life together.

In late 1953, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three children, Ruben, Philip and Enid, Radames moved to New York City. After finding a job and securing an apartment in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Radames sent for Carmen and the children. Two weeks after arriving in New York City, Carmen had an experience that would shape the rest of her life as well as that of her entire family. On a Saturday afternoon, a woman came to the door and introduced herself as a Christian who conducted gatherings for children in the neighborhood each Saturday afternoon. Carmen sent the three children (ages 10, 8 and 6) with Mrs. Petrale, and it was through this contact that she would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and accept Him as her Lord and Savior about six months later.

The family later moved to Brooklyn, first to the East New York/Brownsville area, where she gave birth to her fourth child, Ricky, then later to Bushwick, and finally to Ridgewood. During this time Carmen also bore the primary responsibility for the care of her father, Papa Felipe. Papa lived with Carmen’s family until he passed away in 1968. After her father’s passing, Carmen took a job for a number of years with the Department of Education, working first as a crossing guard, then as a school aide, and finally as a community liaison.

In 1972, through her daughter, Enid, Carmen was introduced to the local church in New York City, the Christian community that she would consider her home for the remainder of her days. She dedicated the rest of her life to the care of her family and to the service of her Lord. She was especially committed to the reading of the Word of God and to prayer. She prayed daily for the spread of the Lord’s work throughout the earth, for the needs of all the members of the church and for the salvation of each of her family members, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also gathered weekly with a group of sisters who were also committed to prayer for the Lord’s move on the earth.

In March 2010, Carmen suffered a heart attack which would result in her being admitted to Highland Care Center in Jamaica, Queens, where she resided for the last three and a half years of her life. During that time her husband, Radames, was by her side daily from early in the morning until the evening, being her companion and ministering to the needs of this woman he had loved for so long.

On the afternoon of December 4, 2013, Carmen ended her earthly pilgrimage and is now at home with the Lord, awaiting the hope of resurrection. She leaves behind 5 generations of loved ones: Radames, her beloved husband of 70 years, first generation; her four children: Ruben, Philip, Enid and Ricky, second generation; 12 of her 13 grandchildren: Sophia and Steven; Debbie, Michele, David, Richard, and Philip (who is already resting in the Lord), Benjamin, Madeline and Ashley; Isaac, Rachel and Emmelyn, third generation; her 13 great grandchildren: Amaris, Olivia, Michael and Ethan; Frisco, Daniel, Ashley, Marcus, Devin, Alyssa and DJ; Devin and Joshua, fourth generation; and two great-great grandchildren: Alejandro and Aliyus, fifth generation. Her earthly influence and impact were great. Her spiritual impact through prayer and seeking to live a godly life, even greater. She will be missed.