Obituary of Neftali Negron Reyes

Neftali Negron Reyes, 65, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital – Warren Campus, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on April 3, 1961, in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, he was the son of the late Agripino and Dolores Negron.

Neftali grew up in Barceloneta, where he attended Escuela Fernando Suria Chaves High School and later pursued college studies at Brooklyn University before proudly enlisting in the United States Army in 1985. During his distinguished military career, he served honorably for more than twenty years, including deployments to Iraq and throughout the Middle East, earning the rank of Specialist. Following his honorable discharge in 2006, he returned home to the greatest joy of his life — his beloved daughters, Barbara, Chastety, and Lola.

A proud, strong-willed, and devoted father, Neftali dedicated his life to caring for and supporting his girls. He was deeply involved in their lives and especially loved playing sports with them, never missing their games. He was always present on the sidelines, cheering them on and even offering pointers and encouragement to the rest of the softball team. In 2011, he relocated with Barbara and Chastety to Newark before later settling in Washington, New Jersey, in 2024.

Outside of his military service and family life, Neftali was deeply passionate about martial arts and fitness. A three-time black belt in Karate, Jiu Jitsu, and Boxing, he devoted countless hours to training and eventually teaching others. Through his instruction, he inspired many with his discipline, determination, and strong work ethic, helping shape the lives of those around him.

Neftali also loved the outdoors and enjoyed traveling whenever he could. One of his favorite pastimes was going out to eat, where he loved trying all kinds of different foods and experiencing new places and flavors. He also enjoyed watching WWE and never missed Monday Night RAW. Known for his sarcastic sense of humor and lively personality, he had a special way of making people laugh and feel at ease. He will be remembered for his strength, loyalty, humor, and the deep love he had for his family and friends.

He is survived by his loving daughters, Barbara Negron, Chastety Negron, and Lola Negron; his sisters, Margarita Mojica, Chavin, Sarah Morales, Aurora Morales, Antonia Morales, Grizel Negron, Isabel Morales and Doris Morales; and his sister-in-law, Sulia Concepcion. He was predeceased by his parents Agripino and Dolores Negron.

Neftali’s legacy of service, perseverance, and love for his family will forever be cherished by all who knew and loved him.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Saturday, May 16th at Knoll-DeVoe Funeral Home & Cremation Service, located at 142 West Washington Avenue, Washington NJ 07882 from 4:00 until 6:00 PM. A catholic prayer service will be held at 6:00PM in the funeral home. Interment will be held at a later date. To send condolences to the family please visit www.knolldevoefh.com.