Awilda Jimenez

We met in a well-known nightclub in New York City. I myself have very little interest in dancing as I was almost forced to go by a friend, (So, I guess you can say that I was looking for “a nice girl” to meet in all the wrong places). It was love at first site when I first saw Awilda. She loved to dance and I didn’t. So, the strategy that I used to get her to go and sit down for us to talk further somewhere was that I waited until the dance floor was packed with people dancing. So, when obviously it was too crowded to dance I told her, “Why don’t we just go and sit down and talk.” But I almost didn’t get a chance to get her phone number to know her better because her friends kept saying to her –“be careful with him he looks like a shoe salesman???” (To this day, I don’t know the true meaning of that statement- Ha Ha). Despite this, I persisted and eventually got her phone number.

Another part of our eventually getting together was that it was very costly for me to go see her all the way in Brooklyn, New York from Jersey City, New Jersey (I had totally fallen in love by this time and couldn’t stop seeing her). I had to cross the “Holland Tunnel and “Verrazano Bridge to go see her almost every other day. Only after 3 months of dating (and almost bankrupt- Ha Ha) I said to her “it’s too expensive for me to continue to see you – it’s cheaper to get married”. So I asked her “why don’t we just get married?” She accepted and the rest is history as they say.

“Edwin’s & Awilda’s Secret Engagement Love Notes”

On the day of their engagement, Edwin presented a ceramic statuette. It was a clown holding three balloons as a gift to Awilda. She was surprised, and when asked to look closer, she saw the engagement ring attached to one of the balloons and she burst into tears. About a year later Edwin secretly placed a love not inside an opening on the bottom of the clown’s shoe, which was intended to be opened and read many years later. Without Edwin’s knowledge, Awilda had also secretly placed a love note into the clown which had been agreed to be opened many years later. Forty years later,(just a few days ago), after Awilda’s passing, Edwin coincidentally shook the statue and realized that there were two love notes inside the clown instead of one. Recently as he and a family member were reminiscing Awilda’s life, he got curious and decided to remove the two love notes from inside the statuette with tweezers. He found the first love note that he had placed forty years earlier. When he took out the second mysterious love note, and to his complete shock, Edwin found that it was a love note that Awilda secretly had dedicated to him approximately forty years ago as well.

****See below "Edwin & Awilda's secret love notes****

8/30/87

Awilda. Don't ever forget that no matter whatever happens in life to look to God in all things first. If God permits, we'll always stay together-whether now or later.

Love,

Edwin

1/28/88

You are the best thing that ever happened to me. "I love you".

Your wife,

Awilda

For your reference, these two love notes can now be found on the large display picture frame next to the ceramic clown statuette for all to see.

Awilda Jimenez of Peoria, Arizona passed away on Tuesday, May 30th 2023 at the age of 72. Awilda was born on December 5. 1950 in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico where she grew up. As a young girl, Awilda enjoyed stopping by each week at her father’s candy store to pick out the candy of her choice and spend time with her father.

Awilda’s first job was a retail clerk at a vitamin store in New York City. She then moved on into the position within the U.S. Postal Service as a mail sorting operator. Then for 11 years, Awilda worked as a Periodontal Assistant before she retired due to her advancing Alzheimer’s Disease.

Awilda had a passion for the arts. She enjoyed creating clay sculptures, arts & crafts and had a natural ability to paint floral and nature scenes with oil paints on canvas.

Awilda is preceded in death by her mother Juana Camacho, father Jose Luis Diaz Serrano and brother Juan Flores.

She is survived by her husband Edwin Jimenez, brother Louis Flores and sister in law Teresa Flores.

The family would like to thank everyone that has been an important part throughout Awilda’s life and her last journey with her disabling Alzheimer’s and breast cancer diseases.

Gravesite service and Burial will be at Phoenix Memorial Park and Cemetery 200 Beardsley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85027 @ 12:30 pm

Per family’s request please arrive no later than 12:15 pm

**In lieu of flowers, donations can be accepted in form of check or money order payable to Edwin Jimenez at 13868 N 79th Ave #267 Building 9 Peoria AZ 85381.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.phoenixmemorialmortuary.com for the Jimenez family.