Death and Funeral
Churumba died on January 17, 2004 at 9:00 AM AST in the Medical Center of Río Piedras at the age of 61 after slipping into a coma and suffering a brain hemorrhage. His posthumous wish of donating his organs was fulfilled.
The funeral guard was held on January 18 in the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium with a rotatory guard of politicians, public servicemen and the various sport teams of Ponce. Many visitors cheered “Long live Churumba!” and “We love you!” The electronic board of the auditorium displayed the words “The Greatest Lion rests in peace”.
Churumba's coffin was later returned to a local funeral home for a family veil guard. The day after, on Monday, January 19, a prayer was offered in Ponce's Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Cathedral after exposing the mortal remains in the former mayor's home. Cordero's burial was held in the La Piedad Cemetery in Ponce. Former Governor Rafael Hernández Colón and his brother were in charge of the oratory mourning.
His remains were subsequently transferred to the Panteon Nacional Roman Baldorioty de Castro near downtown Ponce, where they are currently located in a prominent mausoleum.
Read more about this topic: Rafael Cordero Santiago
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