Katalaya, Nevaeh, and Emilio Nunez

Emilio Nunez Sr., Nevaeh Nunez, and Katalaya Nunez, were stolen from their family and friends by the choices and actions of another. Hearts were, and are, broken and may never fully heal from this.

Emilio Nunez, 71, was born in Uruguay. He was raised by parents who loved him beyond their means, as he grew up in poverty in his first home country before immigrating to the United States where he worked diligently to provide a better life for himself and his family. Emilio came to love the United States in all it stood for and offered to him – a better, safer, happier life.

Emilio was pragmatic, thoughtful, and would never let anything go to waste. He would fix it if it was broken, improve it where he could, and invent it if he needed it. Though he did not have a long formal education, he was highly intelligent and well loved, by all. He lived his Christian beliefs in the ways he knew mattered – he would feed you if you were hungry, give you drink if you had thirst, house you if you were cold, and aid you when you were sick. His heart was one of kindness, compassion, and love.

Emilio met and married the sole love of his life, Norma, and together they raised 2 children. Emilio loved to laugh and to encourage his children to think about every side of an issue, but he was strong in his beliefs and was not afraid to gently share his mind and thoughts with others. He loved to eat, but more so he loved to share what he had to eat with those who were hungry around him. He’d never let someone go home hungry. He loved his coffee, and knew the secret recipe for the best coffee – so you’d love his coffee if you’d ever had a chance to try it.

Emilio was entirely a family man. He loved and supported his children and grandchildren. When he and Norma met and married, they wanted sons and daughters; and while they were only blessed directly with sons, their son Emilio Jr. along with Nicole Busler, gave them three granddaughters to love, spoil, and dote unceasingly on. Emilio was their protector, their teacher, their guardian angel and unfortunately, sadly, and heartbreakingly their angel to guide Katalaya and Nevaeh into heaven.

Nevaeh Nunez, 9, was her grandfather’s mental twin in many ways. Sharp minded and quick witted, she was strong, powerful, and extremely intelligent. She loved to build, and she loved building games like Minecraft.

From birth, Nevaeh was a princess, or as she dressed for her last Halloween, a Goddess. She carried herself as though she were royalty, and was kind and caring to everyone. She was naturally powerful, she was priceless, and she was loved.

If her story had been allowed to be fully written, it would be said that she was perhaps a gymnast – she hadn’t had the opportunity to develop the skillset yet but she yearned greatly to do so. She loved to run, jump, swing, swim and be physical in any way she could. Perhaps she would have developed into a Marine Biologist, she loved animals of all types but particularly sea life (she really wanted a turtle for her next birthday); or a geologist as she loved the physical science of nature, studying crystals, rocks. Unfortunately she will not be able to write the remainder of her story, and we must remember her the way she lived and loved while she was a blessing in our lives. The short period she was with her family left an eternal impact on them.

We must remember the smiles, the hugs, and the warmth of her heart. Remember the way she loved to sing, to dance, and to enjoy the simple pleasures of life – cheeseburgers, chocolate, and family.

Katalaya “Laya” Nunez, 7, accompanied her sister and grandfather into eternal peace. She too was a beautiful and unique soul whose light left this world far too soon and far too quickly.

Laya was at first indescribable. She took your breath away with her compassion. She loved to say “I love you, I love you love you.” She would say “I missed you” when you briefly stepped out of a room before coming back. She was the person who recognized cookies as a meal all their own, a perfect part of the food group and necessary for any meal. She was wise and mature beyond her years, she loved her Hispanic heritage; celebrating its music, language, and culture.

Laya, like her sister, was a dancer, a singer, and loved to be active and moving and having fun. She was an artist of all sorts. She loved to color, and was meticulous in her vision, if she made a mistake she would have to start over and do it right from the start. She loved music – she collected songs in playlists and loved to learn new ones – and in the car, she was the DJ. She loved movies far beyond her years, Coraline and Nightmare Before Christmas for example, where she could see artistry of new styles and directions.

Her story, had it been able to be fully written, would have said how her art changed the world. How she brought light, color, and sound to those who were in darkness, in gray, in silence. How she would have used her art to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. She was empathetic, knew when people were hurting, physically or emotionally, and would stay by their side and help them in however they needed.

Laya and Nevaeh were, and now forever are, inseparable. They would cuddle, they were best friends, confidants, conspirators, and a team. Their laughter now only left in recordings will be treasured, their smiles now only left in photographs are beyond priceless, and they will never be forgotten by any who was blessed to know them.

Survivors include:

Norma Nunez, wife of Emilio Sr., and grandmother of Laya and Nevaeh. Emilio Jr., son of Emilio Sr., and father of the Laya and Nevaeh. Nicole Busler, mother of Laya and Nevaeh. Gianna, big sister of Laya and Nevaeh. In addition they are survived by their step-father, Joseph Reep, their little brother Easton Reep, a step-sister Lacey Reep, an uncle, Victor (Diana) Nunez and innumerable others.

These three souls, united before this existence and now forever united in heaven, will have their lives commemorated in Funeral Services on Saturday, November 16th 2019 at 10am at Church @ The Springs, 5424 SE 58th Ave, Ocala, FL 34480. They will then be laid to rest in a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. Funeral Services under the direction of Christopher Strickler, Forest Lawn Funeral Home.

All are invited to attend the Funeral Services. Guests attending the services are asked to wear the favorite colors of the girls – pink for Nevaeh, and purple for Laya. The funeral procession from the church to the cemetery will take the girls by their school they loved so much, where the staff has mourned heavily for days on end, and where their friends, their school family, will continue to celebrate their memory forever.

The family wishes to thank everyone for the immeasurable outpouring of kindness from the world at large. The heinous and willful act that took these three from their family is devastating and nothing can change that – but those who have come forward to help in so many countless ways have made this time survivable. From food, to kind words, to the generous outpouring on GoFundMe – these little touches have eternal echoes for the family and the rest of the community.

Do not let them fade into obscurity. Make the theft of these three innocent lives be a call to action, to make your world a better place. To fight the good fight and do what is right, even when it is hard, even if it seems impossible. If you are suffering from addiction get help before you destroy someone’s family like this. If you know of someone who suffers get them help. Do not let their light fade – we must all burn brighter, burn stronger, and do it for Emilio, Nevaeh, and Laya.

“I Love you, I love you love you love you. I miss you.” Laya

"oof." Nevaeh.