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How does one get over the loss of his best friend, wife and soul mate? I'm not sure I will ever totally be over Claudia. She was a special woman with so many wonderful qualities that it would be impossible to list them all.

The memorial service was held at a beautiful place called Descanso Gardens. Claudia never made it there, but I often walked it's many pathways taking pictures of roses and flowers and plants so she could enjoy them as well. I think, through me, she loved the gardens as much as I did.

The memorial service began at 2pm sharp with a brief sermon by our minister and one of Claudia's best friends. Jim Frankel is a special being, and he and his wife Jeannie have supported me throughout this ordeal. The sermon made me cry, as it summed up perfectly our beliefs of where Claudia is now - she's moved on to another life.

Then it was my turn to speak. I agonized over what to wear, but finally decided Claudia would like to see me as she always saw me.

Here is what I said:

Thank you all for coming. Can you hear me?

Claudia was my friend. She was my wife, she was my soul mate and she was my best friend. And I've been blessed more than most people have, because I actually my friend, my best friend and my soul mate in the same person.

I met Claudia in 1993.  She was my spiritual counselor; she was my first one in my religion. And the first day I saw her I didn't like her, simply because she had an accent and I didn't understand her. Within five minutes, I was in love with her. Totally heads over heals.

She was that kind of woman, I mean, I was totally in love with her. And she counseled me, and she did what she did, and a couple of months later we met again when we went on a date to the beach. And then we went on a date a few days later to Wendy's. Beautiful Wendy's. A very romantic place.

And I decided that she was going to be mine. "Claudia dear", I said, "how would you like to get married?" She said, "Sure, when?"

Now, me being either very smart or very stupid, said, "how about now?" What I didn't know is we were in a room full of ministers. She turned around and said "Earl". So I was stuck. I was on the hook, I couldn't back out. As fate turns out that's the day we consider our wedding day. But I made the mistake of calling my best friend. But he stood up and said "I have an objection to this wedding...they don't even know each other."

So I spent the next few days calming down my best friend. And then we had our wedding. And then we found out, oh, we need a marriage license. And then we had a wedding again.  And then then the minister lost the marriage license and we had another one. So after the fourth wedding, Claudia turned to me and said, "I'm not marrying you again, this is it".

So that's how we met and that's how we got married.  And then, unbeknownst to me, I found out I had a son, Al, who had no idea and of this was going on. And he looked me up and down, and said "I approve". And that's when I found out what kind of son I have.

So the years went by. Claudia continued her spiritual counseling. She did it day and night. She went there at eight in the morning and left late at night and she helped a lot of people. And that's what she did. She helped people in the depths that they go and she helped raise them up. That was her job.

And she got sick. She got asthma. She got sicker and sicker. Until ... Well, I'll back up just a bit.

Claudia and I had a relationship where we joked a lot. We joked with each other all the time. One of the things that we joked about was other women. She told me, "I don't care who you fool around with, as long as it's not a blonde".

Of course I had no interest in that at all, but she said whoever it is is fine, as long as she's not a blonde.

So she got sick with asthma nine years ago. One day she went into a coma and went into the hospital. And she was there and she was on the machines. I went along with her and the machine started to flatline. And I said, ok ok ok, what do I do?

"Dear, if you die I am marrying a blonde".

That machine went wild. True story. She heard me, she came back. And that's the kind of relationship we had. And she recovered from that. And we moved on.

And I'll always remember the sparkle in her eyes and the helping she did with people. Even when she was sick and couldn't leave the apartment because she was just too sick with asthma to get down the stairs because she was gasping for breath, and got on the internet and started her own women's group called Women With A Unique Soul.

And she helped 200 women with their problems and their issues  ... that's the kind of woman she was.

So two weeks ago, Claudia started to get sick again. I thought it was the usual thing. She had asthma and she took her drugs and she had the usual reaction. And then two weeks ago she asked me something that I didn't  think much about at the time.

Claudia said, "if I die, will you marry somebody else?" And I said "No". "Well, it's okay with me as long as it's not a blonde."

And I didn't think about it. And then two weeks later she was gone. I think that's very interesting. That's the kind of woman she was. She wishes all of us to be happy and all of us to be well. And wherever she is now, and I'm sure she will pick up doing the same thing ... because that's what she is. A helping being. I wish her peace. And that's all I'm going to say.

And now my son Al has a few words.

I'll start off by saying my mom, the last time she had a coma, told me to be strong. I'm going to try, but I can't guarantee it.

So I think I'm going to start by saying, well, my dad already knows this but she wanted to make sure he understood.

My dad and I have not always seen eye-to-eye. I did approve, actually, the first time I met him. It was just, you know, two different guys competing for the same woman's heart. Yeah, I had her for my entire life and I basically came out of her, so I thought I had the upper hand.

One day she took me aside and said, "this man love me so much. There's nothing in this world that has ever compared to it other than you. Don't make me choose". And I never made my mom choose after that.

But I will tell you one thing, I have never, and probably will never, see a love greater than the one my mom and dad shared. He loved her unconditionally to the point where sometimes I would get nauseated. But I figured, you know what, I'm nauseated because I want that relationship sometime in the future.

The only problem is there is only one woman I'm ever going to love and that's my mom. And with her passing I feel a deep sadness. So I have a little bit of humor, and if you are wondering where I got it from it's from her. So if I say anything off-color, I got it from her and my grandmother.

I know that out of everyone in the world there is no one like my dad. And do know that it was a shock to her, I do know death was a shock, because she never wanted to leave my dad.

You've always known this - she loved you. She will always be with you. I honestly don't think that I will ever had a relationship like that. They really were soul mates - you could see it.

I will never have that. So just always remember she will always be near you, at least in spirit. She's now, as my best friend, her other daughter, adopted a long time ago, put it, is back in her original body. The one that she had for forty-four years. She's now able to move about. I think of her that way. So think of her as being happy.

So having said that, I'm not going to say how I feel, let's just say I'm having issues.

I need to address on behalf of my mother something I promised I would say to her sister. My mother and my aunt were the two grandmothers babies. My grandmother loved them unconditionally - both of them. But they were very different

However, within themselves they were never different from each other. They were always loving towards each other. My mom loved my aunt more than anything, than anyone in her family. I think it was more than me at times. But she was just there for you. You know you have the strength to survive. Because I know that we kind of feel that she left us behind. But she also will always be there for you.

Sometimes I wonder how the three of us will make it through this, but...

And I know this doesn't make much sense. I'm an English writer and I'm kind of upset that I can't make this work together, but we'll work with it anyway.

Alex for you mom and you and moma, you know that she loved you guys so much. You are part of the family. So for your mother, make sure that she knows that my mother will remember her. And all the times when we were born. And please make sure that your mom knows that she loves you just as much as your mother.

Um, as for me, I honestly can't say that I'm okay and I can't say that my life will be better. I'll take it minute by minute. It comes and goes. But the strength I have comes from my mom.

My mom had strength like no one else could understand. I don't want to keep going, but she really did have strength. She had strength that could battle several comas and still get up and walk away. The strength to handle all of my crap - you know I'm not the easiest son. She always was there. And any problem that came my mothers way she was actually able to deal with and still have a smile on her face.

So in summation, I know that she's at a better place, but because she's my mother, it will be a long time before I'm okay with it. She was my mom and my dad for along time. And it's really hard to think that I'm not even out of my thirties yet, and she didn't even make it to fifty and passed on.

I have to believe there was a greater reason other than it was just time or she was just tired of fighting her body all of the time. I have to believe that.

And I just want everyone to know, especially Richard's parents, she loved you guys too and your sister. She talked about you very affectionately. My dad went to see her recently and she was really happy with your daughters picture. So you know that.

So the whole family, the rest of the friends and Richard's friends, just know that she really would appreciate you all took the time to be here. The fact that she was so strong is a legacy that she wants us to keep. Just try as much as we can and move on. Not move on and forget her, just move on and survive.

And for the Vivian, she loved her like a daughter. she loved you like a daughter. And I know that for my aunt and I it will be a long time. But at least we still have each other.

So, anyway, on the brighter side, she had a really twisted sense of humor. If you think of anything really gross that makes you chuckle, think of my mom, that was her humor. That's how she was. So I'm going to leave it at that. Thank you.

Claudia would love all of the flowers that she received. They were beautiful, and thanks to all who sent them.

From left to right, Claudia's sister Veronica, Me (Richard) and my son Alvaro. The picture in the center is Claudia, and the certificate on top is the certificate for her "star", a gift from some of her best friends - her sisters at Women With A Unique Soul.

Claudia's family poses with Veronica holding Claudia's picture.

Some friends from work who attended the service. Eighty people were in that room. Thank you to all who came, and all who attended spiritually from afar.

See Claudia's Star