Loved and Lost: Roel Inocentes told his family to enjoy every minute of life – NorthJersey.com

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This story is part of Loved and Lost, a statewide media collaboration working to celebrate the life of every New Jersey resident who died of COVID-19. To learn moreandsubmit a loved one's name to be profiled, visit lovedandlostnj.com.

Roel Inocentes loved traveling the world, going out to new restaurants, and having a good time in his "man cave." That joie de vivre perfectly reflected his outlook on life.

"He would always tell us, 'You got to enjoy your life, every second of it, because you never know when your time is up,'"his daughter, Marielle Inocentes, said.

The Dumont resident died on Feb. 12, 2021. He was 58 years old.

Roel took trips with his wife, Ellen, and their family to various locales including France, Spain and Mexico. He and his daughter were foodies who loved to eat out at restaurants several times a week.

"He traveled a lot and he would spend all his money and he would buy all these things that he wanted, and we always used to tell him, 'What are you doing?'" Marielle said. "He would say, 'Who cares? Money comes and goes. Your time on this earth is very limited so do what you want to do. "

Roel also loved building additions to his home, including a treehouse that his daughters and later his grandchildren were able to enjoy. And there was his special space where he listened to his favorite songs including Dont Dream Its Over by Crowded House and You Are the Reason by Ramsey Lewis.

A native of the Philippines who emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1990s, Roel also was remembered as a hard worker who spent over 20 years in his new country working for several clothing companies in New York City.

"He would catch the bus at 6:30 a.m. and get to his office in the Empire State Building by 8 a.m. He wouldn't return home until 7:30 at night, said Marielle. "And so many of his co-workers loved him.

In fact, those co-workers paid for his funeral, she said.

But his strong work ethic did not deter him from making time for his wife and daughters, Marielle and Mara, and his grandchildren, Mason, Harley and Nova

"They're sad but they have taken everything that they learned from my dad and you can see it, Marielle said of the grandkids. All their gestures, all the things that they say and talk about, it's pretty much all from my dad."

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Loved and Lost: Roel Inocentes told his family to enjoy every minute of life - NorthJersey.com