Julio Colon, a community activist and leader in the Jersey City Hispanic community, died Wednesday at Christ Hospital. He was 65 years old.
Praised for helping improve housing and education for the Hispanic community, Colon was the chairman of Puerto Ricans Associated for Community Organizations (PACO) and served on the Jersey City Board of Education for six years in the 1990s.
"I don’t know how he found the time to do all the things he did," stated Eliu Rivera, the executive director of PACO. "Whenever he set his mind to a project, Colon got it done."
According to Rivera, Colon was born in Puerto Rico and moved to America, where he settled in Jersey City. While working for a number of municipal agencies, Colon worked to improve the housing and educational status of the Hispanic community in downtown Jersey City.
"Housing was one of Julio Colon’s main concerns," said Rivera. "One of the first projects he was involved in was bringing moderate income housing to the Paulus Hook area."
Rivera noted Colon’s efforts to improve housing in Jersey City brought him into contact with PACO, of which he was a member of for 25 years. PACO is a service organization based in downtown Jersey City, which unites a large number of community groups to provide social services.
"During his time as chairman of PACO, Julio provided English as a Second Language programs, after school programs, and day care," said Rivera.
In his efforts to improve housing in Jersey City, Colon fostered the construction of the 240-unit Villa Boriqua on Manila Avenue.
"After the residence was built, Julio had another 80 units added to it," said Rivera,
Councilman E. Junior Maldonado praised Colon as a valuable member of the Hispanic community and the city in general. "Julio Colon was a pioneer," said Maldonado. "He will be sorely missed not only by the Hispanic community, but by the city. He did a great deal to make the Puerto Rican community a viable part of the Hispanic community in Jersey City."
Maldonado noted Colon’s stay on the Jersey City Board of Education as one of the high
points of Colon’s career of civic service.
"Julio Colon served on the Board of Education for six years in the 1990s," said Maldonado. "He served on the facility construction committee and is in a large part responsible for getting the construction of School 3 off the ground."
School 3 is one of two large-scale school construction projects currently underway in Jersey City. The large campus-like facility will be built across the street from the new Jersey City Medical Center on Grand Avenue.
"When Julio Colon came to America, the Hispanic community was like a jigsaw puzzle," Maldonado commented. "He was one of the people responsible for putting those pieces together."
In an effort to bring education to the downtown community, Colon served as the founding chairman of Liberty Academy Community Charter School on Manila Avenue.
"Because he lost some family members to drugs, Julio founded Hogar CREA, Inc., which provides drug rehabilitation to people in need," said Rivera.
Rivera added Colon served as a committee member of the Puerto Rican Day Parade of Jersey City and was active in the Roberto Clemente Little League and Troop 602 PACO Boy Scouts.
"He was a great father and was loved and will be missed by his children," said Diane Colon, Colon’s daughter. "The city has lost a great leader. My father will live on in the hearts of his children."
Viewing services will be held at Introcaso-Angelo Funeral Home, 141 Brunswick Ave., today (Sunday, June 25) and Monday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Services will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church at 219 Third St.