Armand A. Figueroa

Armand A. Figueroa, age 23, of Pompton Lakes, passed away on Saturday, September 7, 2019 while receiving the heartfelt love of his family.

Armand was born with a rare neurological condition called Microcephaly which caused developmental disabilities and a lifetime of challenge for him and his family. When he entered into his teenage years, he began to experience seizures which ultimately were more than his body could handle.

Despite Armand’s limitations, in a world that has its share of mean spiritedness and mixed-up priorities, his unconditionally loving spirit and eternal innocence left an indelibly positive mark on countless lives.    

To all who were in Armand’s life, he taught compassion, patience and the value of selflessness - giving of yourself to bless others and having an enlightened sense of what truly is important in life. Raising and living with Armand taught his parents and siblings to never take anything for granted and that, if something can be fixed or a situation rectified, then it’s really not a problem. In fact, this became his mother Linda’s mantra in life! Even though he could not help it, if Armand did something that really frustrated you, his one hundred percent pure innocence made it impossible to get upset with him. In fact, Armand was the epitome of innocence, laughter and love. Despite needing so much care, he was always happy and it was so easy to please him and make him laugh. The only word in Armand’s verbal vocabulary was “Mamma” but his non-verbal vocabulary spoke volumes! And because he could only speak one word, his father would playfully get Armand to laugh by complementing him for never giving him any talk-back. Armand was very special, always happy, and his family’s angel.

Caring for Armand was a labor of love that all of his family did with utmost dedication. Even his brothers and sister from as early an age of eleven years proactively pitched in to help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and loving on their brother. Many times, as they were growing up themselves, they sacrificed good times with friends for the well-being of Armand, getting out of school at 3:00 PM and immediately rushing home to help him off the school bus at 3:15 PM. Everyone rolled up their sleeves to help. Grandma Lulvere was a true go-to presence in Armand’s life. She loved to bring him his favorite meals and spend quality time feeding him and making him happy. Knowing that they needed a break, Grandma selflessly sent his whole family on a European vacation and stayed home with Armand the whole time they were gone. Armand’s Godmother Adeli Aquino-Johnston also loved him so deeply and was so hands on with him. Knowing how much joy he would receive, she even took him to Sesame Street Live for his birthday. Everyone was dedicated to ensuring that Armand always looked his best and anyone that met him fell in love with his beautiful eyelashes and thick beautiful hair.

Armand really enjoyed attending school at the North Jersey Elks Developmental Disabilities Agency (NJEDDA) in Clifton. One of he and his entire family’s proudest moments was when he graduated from their high school in June, 2017. After that he continued educational activities at the Red Ribbon Academy in Wayne. There he received therapy, got to go on day trips and saw lots of great movies – even ones his family hadn’t seen yet. He loved the gift of music and especially enjoyed the “waking up” activity at Red Ribbon Academy where all kinds of great musical instruments were played to get him and the other students motivated for each new day’s activities.

Armand was truly the biggest fan of the popular television series Barney and Friends starring that loveable purple and green dinosaur who conveyed positive educational messages through clever songs and dance routines. He owned at least two or three of every Barney and Friends DVD ever produced and his ultimate all-time favorite was Barney’s Musical Scrapbook. As soon as the credits came on the screen, a huge smile of recognition would come across Armand’s face and he’d start dancing in his chair. You could say that Armand and Barney were inseparable. When he turned ten, the whole family went to Universal Studios in Florida. While there, Armand got the hands-down best thrill of his life when he got to meet the real Barney. After the performance, Armand was invited to stay for a one-on-one meet and greet with Barney. He got to touch Barney’s face and let him know that he was his biggest fan.

Armand’s family would like to express special thanks to Ana, his aide for the past couple of years. She tirelessly cared for him as if he were her own grandson. She was there seven days a week and it was apparent to all that Ana genuinely cared for and loved Armand. Because of Ana, many in Armand’s neighborhood got to know him well because she was always taking him outside for walks. She also took him to car shows, garage sales, and he loved it when she took him to the Pompton Day Street Fair where he was always excited to get his face painted.    

Armand was the precious son of Lindita “Linda” and Patrick Burnett; dearest brother of Justin, Jade, Aiden and Isaiah; most cherished grandson of his maternal grandmother Lulvere “Lule” Qira and late maternal grandfather Zijadin Qira, his late paternal grandparents Gloria and Jose Figueroa, and his current grandparents Robert and Rita Burnett, and Nerys Roman; most loved nephew of: Agron and wife Nurije Qira, Shqipe “Susan” and husband Ron Tonuzi, Michael Burnett and Katharina Takacs, the late Liri Qira, Riccardo Figueroa, Daisy Figueroa, and the late Jarday Figueroa. He also leaves behind many awesome cousins.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Armand’s name are asked to consider North Jersey Elks Developmental Disabilities Agency (NJEDDA), 15 Union Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07011, or online at njedda.org.