José Aponte de la Torre
Encyclopedia
José Ernesto Aponte de la Torre (December 5, 1941 – May 5, 2007) was a Puerto Rican
politician
and mayor
of Carolina
for 22 years.
in 1941. He was the son of Ernesto Aponte Mendoza, who had fought at World War II with the 65th Infantry Regiment, and Justina de la Torre. When his father died in the Korean War
he and his mother moved to Caguas. It was in Caguas where years later he would meet Daly Dalmau, who would be his wife later on.
Aponte then moved to Carolina and continued college. He obtained a Bachelor in Education with a concentration in Industrial Arts at the University of Puerto Rico
in Río Piedras and a Master in Administration and Supervision at the University of New York
. Aponte became a schoolteacher and directed the Vocational School of Carolina, Carlos F. Daniels, before joining the politics of the island.
He joined the Popular Democratic Party
and was elected as the mayor of Carolina in 1984. He made major changes in the city, pulling it off from a deficit and significantly improving the economics. Aponte was also the director of the Mayor's Association from 2001 to 2006 when he retired from that charge.
Aponte was married to Daly Dalmau, and had three children (Juan Carlos, Ernesto and Javier) and four grandchildren.
On May 5, 2007, Aponte died at the Intensive Care Unit
of the Hospital del Maestro in Hato Rey
at age of 65. He had been fighting respiratory complications since December 2006 and had been in the intensive care unit for over 27 days. Aponte had recently stopped smoking after more than 40 years.
Aponte was succeeded by his older son, José Carlo Aponte Dalmau. This was announced May 10, 2007.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Carolina
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...
for 22 years.
Biography
Aponte de la Torre was born and raised in CayeyCayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
in 1941. He was the son of Ernesto Aponte Mendoza, who had fought at World War II with the 65th Infantry Regiment, and Justina de la Torre. When his father died in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
he and his mother moved to Caguas. It was in Caguas where years later he would meet Daly Dalmau, who would be his wife later on.
Aponte then moved to Carolina and continued college. He obtained a Bachelor in Education with a concentration in Industrial Arts at the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
in Río Piedras and a Master in Administration and Supervision at the University of New York
University of New York
University of New York may refer to:*University of New York in Prague, Czech Republic*University of New York Tirana, Albania* University of New York, fictional university on the American television series Felicity , modelled on New York University-See also:*There is no institution of higher...
. Aponte became a schoolteacher and directed the Vocational School of Carolina, Carlos F. Daniels, before joining the politics of the island.
He joined the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
and was elected as the mayor of Carolina in 1984. He made major changes in the city, pulling it off from a deficit and significantly improving the economics. Aponte was also the director of the Mayor's Association from 2001 to 2006 when he retired from that charge.
Aponte was married to Daly Dalmau, and had three children (Juan Carlos, Ernesto and Javier) and four grandchildren.
On May 5, 2007, Aponte died at the Intensive Care Unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
of the Hospital del Maestro in Hato Rey
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Hato Rey is a former ward located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three wards of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico:*Hato Rey Central*Hato Rey Norte*Hato Rey Sur...
at age of 65. He had been fighting respiratory complications since December 2006 and had been in the intensive care unit for over 27 days. Aponte had recently stopped smoking after more than 40 years.
Aponte was succeeded by his older son, José Carlo Aponte Dalmau. This was announced May 10, 2007.