Nicolas Jimenez, 85, of Newington, passed away on Thursday, July 24, 2014. He was born December 21, 1928 in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, son of the late Cipriano and Antonia (Gonzalez) Jimenez. He was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Clara Jimenez.

He was a Purple Heart Korean War Veteran having served from 1951 to 1957. Always proud of his years in the service, Nicolas was part of the 65th Infantry Regiment (Los Borinqueneers) that was composed largely of soldiers from Puerto Rico. By the end of the conflict, the unit had earned 10 Distinguished Services Crosses, 250 Silver Stars, more than 600 Bronzed Stars and nearly 3,000 Purple Hearts. In 2002 he received a Special Recognition Award through the Hispanic Professional Network honoring Distinguished Hispanic Men and Women in Uniform. Recently, Congress approved and signed by President Obama, the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment.

He will always be remembered as a kind and giving person and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He was the true meaning of a great father. He will also be remembered for his tireless work ethic. His father died at an early age and his mother struggled to care for him and his two siblings. They had to work at an early age to help make ends meet. As a result he was always a proud and independent person. He joined the army in 1951. He married his wife and best friend Clara in 1953 who he adored. During her failing health he took care of her until her passing in July of 2010. In 1960 he came to Connecticut in order to find a better life for his family. He subsequently earned enough money to send for his family in 1961. Both he and Clara worked hard to keep them safe and cared-for despite many challenges. Initially he worked at any job to provide for his family, whether it was the tobacco fields of Connecticut, dishwashing, etc. He was never too proud to do any work as long as it would enable him to provide for his family. Later on he sold and repaired jewelry. Prior to his retirement he worked for many years at Pratt & Whitney and lastly Wiremold Industries. He loved fishing and making guitars. After retiring and always keeping busy he worked for the City of Hartford as a school crossing guard for 4 years.

It was an honor and privilege to compassionately care for him at home; it was the greatest blessing his family received. He handled his illness with the same bravery as he did in the Army. He will remain in our hearts forever. The family would like to thank Life Choice Hospice Care for their support and a special thanks to RN Sheila Starr. A thank you to all who visited him and all who offered their kind words about him.

Nicolas is survived by his sons Pedro Jimenez and his partner Richard Holmes of Rocky Hill, and Edwin Jimenez of Middletown, and his daughter Diana Jimenez and husband Celestino Conteras of Newington. He is also survived by his granddaughters Melissa Robles and her fiancé Ray Delgado, Marisela Robles and her fiance Jose Pagan, and his great-grandaughters Larissa Pagan and Alyssa Delgado.

The funeral will be Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 10:00am at Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield. Burial with full military honors will follow in the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. Friends may call at the funeral home Monday, July 28 from 5pm to 8pm. To share a memory with the family please visit www.dillonbaxter.com