Raymond J. Hernandez

Sending my prayers and condolences on the loss of such a beautiful soul. Even in his short time Raymond touched the minds and hearts of many. He used the gifts God gave him in music and teaching to make the world a better place. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

I had the pleasure of attending many of Raymond's concerts at the "U." As a parent of a fellow clarinet player, I was one of Raymond's cheerleaders... so proud of all he joyfully accomplished in a brief period of time and of his contributions to the musical community. Rosa, thank you for raising such a fine young man. May the memory of Raymond be a blessing to you and all your family.

I had the honor and pleasure of being one of Raymond's nurses. He was by far my favorite patient. The family was always incredible and there was always so much love in the room. He was a ray of sunshine in my day. I will miss seeing him dearly. The world lost a bright soul too soon. I will remain grateful for all of the experiences we had and laughter we shared. I extend my condolences to the family and his loved ones.

Que en paz descanse. Deseamos paz en sus corazones y mucha fortaleza en este momento difícil.

The first time I met Ray, he was in junior high. My son talked about him nonstop. They were best friends from the beginning. There were few times when you didn't see one without the other. They were completely opposite in everyway, from their physical features, to their personalities. But they were the same in their HUGE hearts, and kind ways. I loved listening them talk to each other. Even when they didn't agree, they were so respectful. When Ray's da passed, we mourned with them. When Ray's music career took off, we celebrated with him. He took the time to call "Mama-Shu" to see how things were going, and would share his successes and failures. I love this boy as if he was family, because he treated us as his family. I will treasure the times with him, and the love I have for his dear parents for helping my son grow up. I love you Ray! "Mama-Shu"

Mr. Hernandez came into my life as my teacher and friend at the perfect time. While we didn’t spend as much time together as some others who are closer, he touched my life in a way I can never forget. I’m proud to have known him and to have learned from him, and I know he has touched so many more lives than my own. Thank you, Nandez. You’ve meant the world to so many people.

We met Raymond when he became the A/V Director at our church. He wasn’t only dedicated and hardworking (always showing up an hour earlier than the band to make sure everything was perfect), he was also extremely talented, ensuring every week that our band was mixed well and our pastor could be heard. He did all this with joy and serenity.

When the pandemic hit, Raymond took on the responsibility of live-streaming our services in addition to everything else. This meant juggling two sound mixes AND using cameras to capture the service for an online audience. This work was absolutely essential as we scrambled to do “Zoom church” in the early months of the pandemic.

We were also blessed to know Raymond outside of his job, as he often attended our church small group. We often discussed faith and the hopes he had for his future career.

On his last day working at Guitar Center, he insisted I come look at drum kits and take advantage of his discount. I ended up getting a great bargain on a fantastic kit. I asked him why he’d pushed for me to come look—he said he just thought I would enjoy having it.

This is who Raymond was—thoughtful, selfless, giving, diligent, kind, curious, smart, and joyous.

When he was diagnosed, I was floored and humbled by his positivity in the face of possible death. Even while lying in the hospital bed, his care for his family and others around him was always on display.

Seeing him succumb to his illness was heartbreaking for us, and we can’t imagine the grief his family is experiencing. They cared for Raymond ferociously throughout his ordeal.

We offer our very deepest condolences to Rosa, Karla, and Alejandra, we ask God to grant them peace, and with them we look to his Son Jesus Christ in hope that we will meet Raymond again in glory.

In love and sorrow,

Michael and Masha

Both of my children were fortunate enough to be his students at Herriman. My daughter was a senior his first year at Herriman, and he was an inspiration to her as he taught her how to play the trumpet and the upright bass in the jazz band. His impact was significant to her future and she is now studying to be a music educator, so she can hopefully inspire the next generation, as he did for her.

My son is a special needs student and Mr. Hernandez and the percussion teacher at the time, approached me and asked if I would allow my son to be a part of the marching band. They assured me that he would be included with the entire group and they would cater to his needs so he could have that opportunity to be a part of the amazing Marching Mustangs. For a child who had never been invited to neighborhood birthday parties, my heart and eyes were filled with tears of gratitude knowing that someone wanted to include him in their program. My son did participate that year, and it was one of the best things he ever did and he made more friends than he’d ever had Raymond is a great man who exemplifies kindness and acceptance of all. He has shared compassion, inclusion and kindness with all that have known him. He is a mighty man, who has left a mighty legacy. God bless you Raymond. I offer my love and condolences to his family. Thank you for sharing him with us.

Mi más sinceras condolencias mi amada MELLY Y FAMILIA Dios los bendiga y les de mucha resignación, por la perdida de RAYMOND Que descanse en paz .
Ahora se convierte en un ángel y velará desde el cielo por ustedes.
Ánimo pues aunque es muy difícil aceptar la voluntad de Dios , ya no sufre pues era muy difícil para el, aunque fué muy valiente, y muy valiente guerrero.
Abrazos muy fuertes para todos los quiero mucho.

Sending all of our love to the Gonzalez-Hernandez-Klc family.

Mr. Hernandez,
Thank you for all that you taught our kids in the short time you were at Herriman. You are very missed.

Raymond, whom I knew as Mr. Hernandez, was the most influential educator I’ve ever had the privilege of learning from. He had the courage to come to Herriman, with little experience in a new setting, and fulfill some big shoes. He didn’t just fill the shoes prior to him, but exceeded our expectations.

He was humble enough to admit when he didn’t know something and needed help, and was properly equipped to teach his students in a way that was exactly what we needed. He was able to explain things to us in a way we understood. He showed he was passionate about teaching for the sake of us learning, rather than the sake of him just doing his job. He genuinely cared about those in his life, and showed the importance of what they meant to him.

I remember one pit orchestra rehearsal my senior year, Raymond told me he wanted to see me in his office after. I thought I was going to be in trouble for adding extra stuff to the music. Turns out that when he pulls me into his office and closes the door and blinds, it was so he could tell me he liked the musical choices I made. He asked me if I was going into music in the future, and told me to go into commercial music. He said I would be very successful if I went into commercial music. Now I’m in my second year of college going for my bachelor of commercial music. Raymond is the reason I’m going to school and going for the degree I’m going for, the reason I’m going into music as a career.

It is incredibly painful to see such an influential figure leave. However, I’m so proud of all that he has accomplished in his life. I know that he is in a better place experiencing peace, after a long and painful battle.

I was so incredibly heart broken to learn of Raymond's extremely too soon passing. I had the honor of working besides Raymond during his time at the University of Utah, and from the moment i met him, the spark in his eye and passion for music and music education motivated me to be an even better artist and student. His infectious smile and attitude made me want to be a better person. Anyone who had the chance to interact or know Raymond, knew of his contagious confidence and unyielding loyalty. He left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him life. I can't even begin to express the sorry I feel learning of this tremendous loss to our world. My heart goes out to his friends and family, and I send them all the love and comfort in the world during this incredibly difficult time. They will be in my heart and in my thoughts, as we all continue to live in a world without this brilliant teacher, musician, and human. His friendship will live on in the people he inspired and loved the most. Thank you for all you did Raymond. I miss you so much already. The world is a little less bright with out you, but the skies at night shine a little bit brighter with the extra star that is you. Rest in power!