SAG HARBOR, NY — He may not have had a home, but he sure had a home.
Sag Harbor Police Chief AJ McGuire confirmed that a familiar face on the Sag Harbor canvas for about 20 years, Pedro Moreno, died Sunday after an “apparent medical emergency.” He was 64.
For years, Moreno was without a residence of his own, but found a home among the many who embraced him as their own, a beloved member of the community.
Over the years, longtime resident Bryan Downey kept a close eye on the winter weather forecast because he knew that if he didn't offer Moreno a warm place to sleep on chilly nights, his friend would never ask, according to a Article 2012 Patch. Moreno often slept in sheds, garages and, in the summer, outside on the beach, he said.
Remembering his friend, Downey said throughout the decade or more that he knew him, Moreno was always a gentleman. Moreno, a house painter, often found comfort in an apartment on Downey's property, he said.
“But once the summer rolled around, he came back to live in the city,” she said.
Born in Cuba, Moreno's family moved to Miami when he was one year old, he said.
“He loved football and fishing,” Downey said. “He came to the Hamptons in 1980 to play in a football game and ended up staying.”
But Moreno fought back and eventually found himself on the streets, Downey said.
Moreno no longer has any known biological family, McGuire and Downey said. But he found his new family on the streets of Sag Harbor.
“He was content there,” Downey said. “He knew everyone, everyone knew him. On the day of his death, so many people came forward with offers of help with arrangements. The outpouring of love from everyone was overwhelming.”
Downey often photographed his friend. In one photo, Moreno was on his knees.
“He also loved swans and a British singer, Matt Monroe. This photo was taken on his last day at work. Looking at swans and listening to Matt Monroe,” he said.
He added: “I took him home for a hot shower and shave after that shot.”
Downey is working with the Suffolk County Coroner's Office and, once his ashes are received, plans to hold a celebration of Moreno's life.
“We can throw him a party at his favorite fishing spot under the Sag Harbor Bridge. I'll scatter his ashes in the water,” Downey said.
One resident added, on social media: “Although he was 'homeless' in the conventional sense, he made Sag Harbor his home and in doing so made the village feel like home to the rest of us. A place that has room for everyone.”
Downey thought Moreno might be a man of limited means, Downey said, but in love, “he was the richest.”
