Nestor Hernandez Family Support Fund
Donation protected
Nestor Hernandez, longtime owner of Lombardi’s Restaurant in Cambria, lost his battle to COVID-19 on Feb. 8, 2021. He leaves behind wife Monica Melendrez, their four school-age children, and two adult children. His passing is devastating to his family, friends and our community.
You can help the family deal with their loss and their future by donating here to alleviate the financial hardship left by this tremendous loss.
In his children's words...
"He is very loving because if we would get hurt he would come up to us and massage it where we got hurt and say you are ok and that is what I love about him. He is the greatest dad that I could ever imagine because he was very noble to us." Xochitl, age 10
"My dad worked all day to give us what we wanted and to keep the house for his loving family. My dad is the best and he cares about his family, and he is always in our family's Heart." Isai, age 12
"I love him and always will. This is a message for him. I love you Pa, and finish watching 'Supernatural' so when I see you again we can talk about it without you asking so many questions. I will also learn to dance so when you want to dance, I will dance with you for as long as you'd like." Zahaira, age 15
"My dad has the biggest part of my heart... He made sure we had quality time together and our deep talks about what was going on in life and family. I now look at each of my siblings and see a little part of him in them giving me peace, I'm truly blessed to have been raised by such a strong, caring, kind, giving, courageous, selfless individual that is my dad." Naomi, age 25
For more information please see the following article by Kathe Tanner, longtime reporter for The Cambrian and The Tribune.
Longtime Cambria restaurateur, father of six, loses battle with COVID-19
On Feb. 8, a Cambria family of 8, their friends and community were devastated after Nestor Hernandez — who’d owned Lombardi’s restaurant in Cambria for 17 years — died after a brief but intense battle with the COVID-19 virus.
Nestor “did it all at the restaurant,” according to Courtney Hartzell, a friend who works with his wife Monica Melendrez at Cambria’s Santa Lucia Middle School.
At Lombardi’s, which he bought in 2004 from Liz and Paul Bannon, “he was the chef, he did payroll, ordering, cooking, the schedules. I can’t imagine how the family will manage without him … She has a fulltime job, four kids and now the restaurant.”
According to another friend, Suzanne Kennedy, they’ll do it with the help of their strong faith and the Santa Rosa Parish, friends, a supportive community, and family members who have lived in the area for decades including Monica’s mother, Angie Melendrez and aunt, Gloria Vilalvazo, who is currently battling cancer.
But the sudden, devastating death, funeral and other expenses will drain financial reserves that have been depleted during the long pandemic, with its long closure requirements for restaurants.
So, Kennedy is turning to the community, hoping for donations that will help sustain the family as they deal with their loss and uncertain future.
The Hernandez-Melendrez family includes four children, Zahaira 15, Isai 12, Xochitl 10, and Itzael 2.
But “for everybody else, it was like a bad cold,” Kennedy said. The loving father also had two adult children from a previous marriage, Nestor and Naomi.
For Nestor, however, the virus’ attack “was so sudden,” Hartzell said. “He was climbing up the stairs in their two-story house and had to stop halfway, saying he was too short of breath.” A friend had an oxygen saturation meter, and Nestor’s reading was so low, he was immediately taken to the hospital.
He never came back home.
Slightly more than three weeks later, despite being on a ventilator and getting other emergency treatments for the virus, Nestor died.
A quiet, almost shy man, Nestor “was a very loving, good dad,” Hartzell said. As far as she knew, he’d “never missed a basketball or volleyball game. He helped Monica with the PTA at the grammar school and was very involved.”
She said quietly that Nestor’s death was a shock for so many people who’d known him and the family, or known of them, for decades. It was also a wake-up call for those who felt protected from the virus by the North Coast’s low case counts. Hartzell said, “This could happen to any of us at any moment.”
She recalled Monica telling her how, when one of their children was going through a rough patch at school, Nestor had told his wife, “just tell her we love her, that she can make the decisions and we’ll be there to support her.”
The family friend choked up and said that when she gets to that stage as a parent, “I’m going to remember that moment, and follow what Nestor said to do.”
You can help the family deal with their loss and their future by donating here to alleviate the financial hardship left by this tremendous loss.
In his children's words...
"He is very loving because if we would get hurt he would come up to us and massage it where we got hurt and say you are ok and that is what I love about him. He is the greatest dad that I could ever imagine because he was very noble to us." Xochitl, age 10
"My dad worked all day to give us what we wanted and to keep the house for his loving family. My dad is the best and he cares about his family, and he is always in our family's Heart." Isai, age 12
"I love him and always will. This is a message for him. I love you Pa, and finish watching 'Supernatural' so when I see you again we can talk about it without you asking so many questions. I will also learn to dance so when you want to dance, I will dance with you for as long as you'd like." Zahaira, age 15
"My dad has the biggest part of my heart... He made sure we had quality time together and our deep talks about what was going on in life and family. I now look at each of my siblings and see a little part of him in them giving me peace, I'm truly blessed to have been raised by such a strong, caring, kind, giving, courageous, selfless individual that is my dad." Naomi, age 25
For more information please see the following article by Kathe Tanner, longtime reporter for The Cambrian and The Tribune.
Longtime Cambria restaurateur, father of six, loses battle with COVID-19
On Feb. 8, a Cambria family of 8, their friends and community were devastated after Nestor Hernandez — who’d owned Lombardi’s restaurant in Cambria for 17 years — died after a brief but intense battle with the COVID-19 virus.
Nestor “did it all at the restaurant,” according to Courtney Hartzell, a friend who works with his wife Monica Melendrez at Cambria’s Santa Lucia Middle School.
At Lombardi’s, which he bought in 2004 from Liz and Paul Bannon, “he was the chef, he did payroll, ordering, cooking, the schedules. I can’t imagine how the family will manage without him … She has a fulltime job, four kids and now the restaurant.”
According to another friend, Suzanne Kennedy, they’ll do it with the help of their strong faith and the Santa Rosa Parish, friends, a supportive community, and family members who have lived in the area for decades including Monica’s mother, Angie Melendrez and aunt, Gloria Vilalvazo, who is currently battling cancer.
But the sudden, devastating death, funeral and other expenses will drain financial reserves that have been depleted during the long pandemic, with its long closure requirements for restaurants.
So, Kennedy is turning to the community, hoping for donations that will help sustain the family as they deal with their loss and uncertain future.
The Hernandez-Melendrez family includes four children, Zahaira 15, Isai 12, Xochitl 10, and Itzael 2.
But “for everybody else, it was like a bad cold,” Kennedy said. The loving father also had two adult children from a previous marriage, Nestor and Naomi.
For Nestor, however, the virus’ attack “was so sudden,” Hartzell said. “He was climbing up the stairs in their two-story house and had to stop halfway, saying he was too short of breath.” A friend had an oxygen saturation meter, and Nestor’s reading was so low, he was immediately taken to the hospital.
He never came back home.
Slightly more than three weeks later, despite being on a ventilator and getting other emergency treatments for the virus, Nestor died.
A quiet, almost shy man, Nestor “was a very loving, good dad,” Hartzell said. As far as she knew, he’d “never missed a basketball or volleyball game. He helped Monica with the PTA at the grammar school and was very involved.”
She said quietly that Nestor’s death was a shock for so many people who’d known him and the family, or known of them, for decades. It was also a wake-up call for those who felt protected from the virus by the North Coast’s low case counts. Hartzell said, “This could happen to any of us at any moment.”
She recalled Monica telling her how, when one of their children was going through a rough patch at school, Nestor had told his wife, “just tell her we love her, that she can make the decisions and we’ll be there to support her.”
The family friend choked up and said that when she gets to that stage as a parent, “I’m going to remember that moment, and follow what Nestor said to do.”
Organizer and beneficiary
Suzanne-Kennedy Jim-Cunningham
Organizer
Cambria, CA
Monica Melendrez
Beneficiary