Brineidy Natividad Montesino Alexander

To everything there is a season, and a time, to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

A TIME TO BE BORN

On November 29, 1962, Brineidy, Bri as she was lovingly known, was born to Francisco and Olga Montesino, in Valverde, Mao, Dominican Republic.

A TIME TO GROW

At the age of five, Bri emigrated to the United States with her parents and sister, Celeste. The family settled in Paterson, NJ, where she attended East Side High School. She went on to attend The Berdan School and graduated as a Medical Assistant. Bri’s heart for helping others and love of children were assets that allowed her to excel in all her endeavors. She spent several years working with various specialists in Paterson, but spent the next twenty years at Sall-Myers Medical Associates. Bri loved her job and the doctors and staff there. She excelled and made life-long friends there. She maintained thoses relationship with many of the doctors and employees until the end. She left in 2005 to relocate with her husband and family to Bethlehem, Georgia.

A TIME OF FAITH

Bri was raised in a home where reliance on God was paramount and throughout her life she attended various churches while living in Paterson, but ultimately settled at Friendship Baptist Church. She was a beloved member of the church and this is where she developed her enduring faith in God and love for Jesus. This faith and love would carry her through life’s challenges and trials and through the abundance that God sent her way. Her faith in God was steadfast, unwavering and absolute and was present until the very last breath. Friendship Church always held a place in her heart as her husband, James gave his heart to the Lord there and she and they were married there. Friendship Church became the meeting ground for the Alexander and Montesino families, who would often cram into one car, packed in like sardines in order to attend services together. These church outings usually ended at Celeste’s house, with her brothers and children conning her into cooking for them and then wouldn’t leave her home for days. During those times, James and Bri lead the family in prayer to plead for God’s protection and blessings for the entire Montesino-Alexander clan. The unwritten motto was nobody suffers or succeeds alone. God was gracious and merciful and never failed her and her family.

A TIME OF LOVE

Bri was raised in a home with her father, Francisco and her mother, Olga and she was loved and treasured by them. They were fiercely protective and brooked no nonsense. Discipline came in the form of the “stop you in your tracks” looks followed by the “wait til you get home” hand signal. There were no material riches in the home, but there was unconditional love of an intensity that Bri absorbed and then poured into others for the rest of her life. Bri’s laugh was legendary and once she started laughing, there was no stopping it. If she found it funny, the laughter would rise from the bottom of her feet and her whole body would shake. Bri and Celeste were each other’s best friend and there was never anyone or anything that would ever come between them. They were extremely protective of each other and their brothers, Francis, Albert and Franny, and together experienced every step of each other’s lives. Her first son, Brandon, was born to her in 1990. He was her adventurous and vocal child. When Brandon was just 2 years old, she met the love of her life James T. Alexander. She was the honey bun and he was her chocolate chip. Attached at the soul and at the hip, the two were never apart. She and James blended their families, including his beloved daughters, Jataysia and Mykeyra and Brandon. In 1995 they welcomed their second son, James-Michael, who laughed easily and was the peacemaker. He was followed by the birth of their son, Tevin Alexander. Tevin came out of the womb talking and never stopped. He was the intellectual, his daddy’s shadow. Her boys were her life’s blood and she loved them for who they were and unconditionally. Their friends became her children. Her home became their home. She loved them like her own, Josh Moscino became one her hers. The Montesino and Alexander families became a joyous, loud clan that included doting and adoring grandparents, Tia Celeste, her brothers, Francis, Albert and Franny, who were young enough to be raised with her children, her brother Rey and his wife, Rose and their children, Tias Toni and Runy, Tia Yannett, James' brother, Uncle C, his wife Pam, beloved cousin Rosemary and Carlos, their children Emily and Kevin and an innumerable number of cousins uncles, family and friends. As her children grew their wives and fiancé, became her daughters. Kenricka Roberts who would become Tevin’s wife, became the daughter she longed for. Bri adored Kenricka without limits and there was never a conversation where she did not extol Kenricka’s virtues and talent. True to form, Kenricka became that daughter and gave Bri unconditional love and attention. She became Bri’s nursemaid, her helper and her dance partner. When Bri was confined to a wheelchair, Kenricka would play dance music and before anyone knew it, Bri was “dropping like it’s hot” with Kenricka in the background yelling “get it momma.” Her unborn granddaughter received enough love and giddy anticipation from Bri to last a lifetime. James-Michael’s upcoming wedding to his beautiful fiancé Hannah brought Bri a sense of joy and anticipation that will be felt by them for eternity. Her beloved friend Olga who never allowed Bri to feel alone and spent countless hours encouraging and loving on her. Her friends Sonia who was a constant prayer partner.

A TIME TO LABOR

Except for very short periods of time, Bri worked every day, even when her legs were giving out, she worked; when her vision was giving out, she worked. When she relocated to Georgia, she began working at Walmart. She loved her job and spent her day laughing with the babies and testifying to their parents. If you came to her register, you were going to hear about the Lord, if you were short on funds, she bought the items for you, she testified about God’s goodness and mercy to everyone. She testified at the register, at the door, in the lunchroom, and spoke God’s word over the children she met. Nobody suffered alone or prayed alone if Bri was around.

A TIME TO MOURN

Bri leaves an immeasurable emptiness in the universe that only God and his grace and mercy will fill. Life has been altered forever for most of us and the world will not be the same without her. Few will ever know the kind of fierce protective love that she had to give. Her legacy of love, laughter, joy and faith will live on in our hearts and souls. She will never be forgotten.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The family wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many expressions of love, concern, and kindness shown to them during this time. In particular Ms. Odette Roberts for the love and generosity she has extended to the family.

REPAST August 4, 2023. Nutley, New Jersey.