Former House Speaker Jarabo honored in funeral ceremony at Capitol

Officials from the Popular Democratic Party paid tribute to one of their leading lights. (Facebook via Asociación de Alcaldes)

By THE STAR STAFF

Past and present members of the Puerto Rico government gathered at the Capitol in Puerta de Tierra on Wednesday, along with family members and other well-wishers, to bid a heartfelt final farewell to one of the island’s revered political leaders, former Speaker of the House of Representatives José Ronaldo “Ronny” Jarabo Álvarez, who died Sunday at age 85.

“Today we are called together by the duty to pay tribute to a man who gave his all to Puerto Rico: Ronny Jarabo,” Gov. Jenniffer González Colón posted on social media.

“Ronny was an exemplary public servant. His brilliant mind, his eloquence, his ability to listen and engage in dialogue, and his integrity profoundly marked this institution,” wrote the governor, who was among the many in attendance at the ceremony. “He was a man firm in his ideas, yet always respectful of differences. He knew how to build bridges where others saw barriers, and he left an indelible mark on legislative work.”

The funeral service was held in the Constitution Rotunda at the Capitol, where Jarabo forged his legacy as a statesman.

“As Speaker of the House, his leadership transcended party lines and inspired many inside and outside the chamber,” González Colón added in the post. “Today, rather than bidding him farewell, we remember his legacy.”

“To his wife, his children, and his entire family, I extend my solidarity,” the governor wrote. “May they find solace in the love and deep respect that Ronny instilled in all of us who knew him.”

Among those paying their respects to Jarabo were fellow members of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), the longstanding political collective of which he was a leading light.

“Today, the president of the Puerto Rico Mayors Association, Jorge “Georgie” González, along with Mayor Pedro Rodríguez of Trujillo Alto, Senator Marially González, and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández, among other officials and citizens, received the funeral procession of former Speaker of the House of Representatives José Ronaldo “Rony” Jarabo Álvarez,” the Mayors Association, which groups the island’s PDP-affiliated mayors, posted on social media. “They also paid their respects to his widow, Madeline Rolón, and his family. May he rest in peace.”