A veteran Housing Division member and Local 237 trustee for more than 10 years, Evaristo Pabon Jr. died at home in his sleep on January 20, after a long illness. With nearly 40 years of service to the union, he will be remembered fondly for his dedication, his passion for sports, and impeccable sartorial taste.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that Local 237 bids farewell to a distinguished member and longtime friend,” said President Gregory Floyd, announcing the union’s loss. “I was fortunate to have his advice and support over the years, and I will miss him greatly.”

Floyd, along with several Local 237 officials and members, paid their respects at the Quinn Funeral Home in Long Island City, N.Y. The wake and burial were held on Jan. 23 and 24 respectively.

Born Dec. 20, 1953, in Manhattan and raised in the Astoria Houses in Queens with five siblings, Pabon was considering a career in art while attending Bryant H.S. Instead, he began working as a caretaker for the Housing Authority as a teenager.

He was first assigned to Queensbridge Houses, where he remained for seven years. In 1978, he transferred to Ravenswood Houses where he became a truck driver. Before becoming a Local 237 business agent in 1995, Pabon was also a shop steward for 20 years and worked as an HA computer operator.

He Wore Many Hats

As a BA, Pabon, also known as Abbey, served members working in developments in Brooklyn East and West, at the Javits Center, and three warehouses. He also served as a member of the board and trustee of the Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, which was formed in 1997. In 1998, former President Carl Haynes appointed Pabon to the Executive Board.

As Local 237’s Softball League Commissioner, Pabon used his office as championship headquarters. Each year the room filled up with trophies, which he distributed to each player in the first- and secondplace teams.

Pabon is survived by his mother, Olga; wife, Jackie; his children, Daniel and Janel; two grandchildren, Benjamin, 4, and Anthony, 2; and siblings Olga, Carmen, Isabel, Evelyn and Joe.