Ode To Pedro: A Man Without A House, Who Made Sag Harbor A Home

SAG HARBOR, NY — He may not have had a house, but he definitely had a home.

Sag Harbor Police Chief AJ McGuire confirmed that a familiar face on the Sag Harbor canvas for about 20 years, Pedro Moreno, died Sunday after an "apparent medical emergency." He was 64.

For years, Moreno was without a residence of his own, but he found a home amongst the many who embraced him as their own, a beloved member of the community.

Longtime resident Bryan Downey has, over the years, watched the weather forecast closely in the winter because he knew that if he didn't offer Moreno a heated place to sleep when frigid nights were in store, his friend would never ask, according to a 2012 Patch article. Moreno often slept in sheds, garages and, in the summer, outside on the beach, he said.

Remembering his friend, Downey said throughout the decade or more that he's known him, Moreno was always a gentleman. Moreno, a house painter, often found comfort in an apartment on Downey's property, he said.

"But once the summer rolled around, he went back to living in town," he said.

Born in Cuba, Moreno's family moved to Miami when he was a year old, he said.

"He loved soccer and fishing," Downey said. "He came to the Hamptons in 1980 to play in a soccer match and ended up staying."

But Moreno struggled and eventually found himself on the streets, Downey said.

Moreno no longer has any known biological family, McGuire and Downey said. But he found his new family on Sag Harbor streets.

"He was content there," Downey said. "He knew everyone, everyone knew him. On the day of his death, so many people reached out with offers of help with arrangements. The outpouring of love from everyone was overwhelming."

Downey often photographed his friend. In one photo, Moreno was kneeling.

"He loved both swans and a British singer, Matt Monroe. This photo was taken on his last day working. Looking at swans and listening to Matt Monroe," he said.

He added: "I took him home for a hot shower and shave after this shot."

Downey is working with the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office and, once he receives his ashes, plans to hold a celebration of Moreno's life.

"We can have a party for him at his favorite fishing spot under the Sag Harbor bridge. I will scatter his ashes into the water," Downey said.

One resident added, on social media: "Though he was 'homeless' in the conventional sense, he made Sag Harbor his home, and in doing so, he made the village feel like home to the rest of us. A place that has space for everyone."

Downey reflected that Moreno may have been a man of limited means, Downey said, but in love, "he was the wealthiest."