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“I said the names of everybody who had asked me to tell him how much they loved him. He wasn’t conscious but I believe he was listening to us.”

Cristobal-Esteban was 62.

Photo by Handout: Sarah Godoy / PNG

He left behind a longtime partner, Darlene, cousins in Surrey and Kelowna, and family in Guatemala, Cruz said.

After news of Cristobal-Esteban’s death spread, many who knew him felt he had been portrayed in the media as little more than the victim of Vancouver’s first homicide of 2020.

The truth, they insisted, is that he had been a glowing presence in the Downtown Eastside and deserved to be acknowledged for it.

To them, he was a best friend, colleague, volunteer, migrant rights activist, gardener and farmer. He was a teacher, soccer organizer, man of faith, jokester, dancer, musician, early-riser and tortilla-maker. He fought for the rights and freedoms of the hungry, sick and poor.

On Saturday, close to 40 people gathered at the Cottonwood Community Garden in Strathcona — Cristobal-Esteban’s favourite place to garden — to talk about his life and chant “Viva Jesus!” in his memory. Many more sent emails to a reporter sharing parts of his story.

The turnout and response was a testament to Cristobal-Esteban’s impact before his assault at the park he once frequented with old friends.

Photo by Jason Payne / PNG

“We’re here because we love Jesus,” said his gardening partner Ofelia Figuero, through a translator.

“As a human being, he was very brave. We learned so much from him. He knew how to plant, he knew how to look after the garden and as well, he was just a great friend to all of us. We are so sad.”