[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING GEORGINA ``GINA'' CARDONA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RITCHIE TORRES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 28, 2023

  Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. Speaker, Georgina Cardona, affectionately 
known as Gina, was a woman of extraordinary kindness and caring, and 
left this world at the young age of 95. Her constant commitment to 
community and family formed the pillars for who she was in life. Gina 
moved into our community in the winter of 1952 from The Island of 
Puerto Rico with her husband Eliseo and only son Aureo. The three lived 
in a rooming house owned by the Rivera family, this is where she came 
to love the South Bronx and all those who lived there with her, 
including her beloved ``Bronx Bombers''.
  After settling in, Gina continued her dedication to service of others 
by graduating with honors from the Helena Fuld School of Nursing. She 
started her career at Hunts Point Hospital as a surgical nurse, then 
worked at the Hospital for Joint Diseases until her retirement 40 years 
later. During her years in healthcare, she was instrumental in 
groundbreaking medical procedures and became a highly respected leader 
in the industry.
  While tirelessly working to improve the health of her fellow 
community members, she also fought for the Bronx we see today. Her 
political activism was integral in rebuilding the South Bronx. Gina 
always found the time and energy to campaign, mobilize, and organize 
her fellow community members to make lasting, positive changes for the 
South Bronx. Her passion for service and change was instilled in her 
family, especially her son and granddaughter who continue her legacy of 
love and community. She was as proud of her civic engagement as I am 
inspired by it.
  A beacon of strength, Gina was the Matriarch of her beloved family. 
Like many in her generation, she sent much of her hard-earned money to 
help her mother and sisters in Puerto Rico. Ultimately, she helped to 
settle them in the South Bronx. Gina continued to bring her family 
together by helping to move her aunt and younger cousins to Brooklyn. 
Gina's commitment to her family is exemplified by these acts of 
selflessness.
  While the Bronx became Gina's new home she never forgot where she 
came from. She would go back to Puerto Rico annually to see her aunt, 
uncle, and cousins. She would celebrate Puerto Rican heritage month 
with her brother and his family every year in Connecticut. She also 
made sure to teach her family in New York to appreciate and learn their 
history and culture. She did this through language, tradition, food. 
music, and celebrations. She embraced and loved her family with her 
entire heart. She will be sorely missed.
  I want to recognize her truly amazing impact on our community and 
anyone who knew her. Gina was a healer through and through. From saving 
lives as a nurse to helping rebuild her community to taking care of her 
family, she always worked to heal those around her. In the words of 
Gina's only Granddaughter Ralina, she left behind a legacy of family 
and love, not in words but in her deeds.

                          ____________________