New Times readers have long been familiar with Alex Rendon's byline. He's written thoughtful, intelligent, and at times beautiful stories for the paper for more than seven years. As his editor and friend, I'm very grateful to have spent that time with him and devastated that it's over.
Alex passed away on March 8, in the Orlando area where he was living. The details are unclear. Besides writing for New Times, he was working at Booking.com at the time. An email sent from his manager there to his coworkers said he was in a car accident, but we can't confirm that yet.
Alex was of Colombian descent, born in Puerto Rico. He grew up in Miami with two brothers and a sister but settled in Coconut Creek and worked in Boca Raton as an adult. When he attended the University of Miami, studying broadcast journalism, he was involved with the radio station there, WVUM.
He was a devout fan of the South Florida music scene and more passionate about writing than almost anyone I've ever met. He offered our readers a wealth of wonderful content and a smart voice that I loved to read in the morning, afternoon, or at night. He was a good friend to me, and I will miss him dearly. Rendon struggled with addiction, and despite his many successes, he was always burdened by the weight of that.
I wish I had more words right now to express how special Alex was. All I can say is that this is truly terrible news, for not just his family and friends but for this whole community.
Alex's funeral service will take place next Monday, March 15, at noon at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, located at 1500 FL-7 North Lauderdale, FL 33068.
