Luis Fernandez

Luis Fernandez, 59, of Glen Gardner, New Jersey, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sept. 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family and listening to his favorite songs after a battle with ALS.

Luis was born Dec. 7, 1965, in Havana, Cuba, the son of Victoria and Luis Fernandez, and the younger brother of Magaly Fernandez. The family moved to the United States in 1969; Luis became an American citizen in 1979.

Luis graduated from Kearny High School in 1983 and went on to study at New York University, where he earned a degree in biology and chemistry. He later graduated from the New York School of Podiatric Medicine.

In 1987, Luis married Dawn Connors. Together, they raised three sons, Jason, Matthew and Alex. To provide for his family, Luis channeled his passion for music into a weekend side gig as a DJ.

Luis worked as a manager in the family business, Anderson Check Cashing in New Jersey, but his most cherished role was being a father. He loved taking his family to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, coaching his sons' sports teams, and never missed a play or musical Alex performed in.

Luis enjoyed spending time with his family, the beach, Cuban food, playing the drums and listening to music - especially Rush, Volbeat and James Taylor. He was a humble and generous man with a keen sense of humor who would move mountains for his sons and those he loved. Luis will be missed by his family dearly.

Remaining to cherish Luis' memory are his beloved sons, Jason Fernandez (along with his wife, Jessica Stringer) of Hillsborough, NC; Matthew Fernandez of Brooklyn, NY; and Alex Fernandez of Charlotte, NC; as well as his mother, Victoria Fernandez, of Somerset, NJ; his sister, Magaly Fernandez-Ghander, and her husband, Atif Ghander, of Somerset, NJ; his niece, Diana Carey, her husband, David Carey, and Luis' grandniece, Julia Carey, of Miami; his grandnephew, David Carey Jr.; and his four grandpets, Olive Elaine, Kaido, Gojo and Morgana.

Preceding Luis in death is his father, Luis Fernandez.

Memorial donations in Luis' memory may be directed to The ALS Association, als.org.