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Reymundo Roque Hernandez, Sr. (Rey) died peacefully at the age of 73 in his home in South Pasadena on June 9, 2020, where he lived for over 45 years. Rey was born to Martin and Juana Roque Hernandez on March 5, 1947, in Los Angeles. He was the youngest of nine children.
A strong, kind and unyielding spirit of dedication and perseverance, Rey led a career as a Los Angeles TV cameraman that spanned decades and earned him numerous Golden Mics and Emmys.
Rey graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, in the winter of 1965. He received his certificates at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, First and Second Class license in communication. From there he worked at McDonnell Douglas and soon after was drafted into the US Army. After his service as a projectionist in the military, he worked at KTTV and then worked for KCBS News for over 30 years as a news videographer; where he pioneered live news gathering . He went on to become the ENG manager at KCBS his last remaining years before he retired.
During his storied life and career, Rey was known for his indefatigable sense of service to the greater good. He would not back down from a challenge, even when the danger was high. Weeks after taking his first full-time position in 1974 with KCBS Channel 2 in L.A. to shoot a variety of news programming; the 23-year-old Rey was put to the test when he found himself live videotaping the biggest shootout in the city’s history between the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and law enforcement officers, dodging bullets and facing down tear gas in the process.
His determination and keen sense of focus alongside his colleagues during the firefight jettisoned him into a career that set a new bar for on the air live news gathering, while paving the way for countless others. He covered everything from politics, entertainment, plane crashes, national league sports to earthquake after maths.
Over the decades, he used his experience to encourage others to drive toward their goals with an unrelenting passion.
“If there was anything that I wanted my kids to learn was how to be self-starters and not to need supervision,” Rey told the South Pasadenan in February. “You do what you have to do and a little bit more in order to keep going.”
“You’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing and don’t take no for an answer. I’ve worked with some students where if you tell them ‘no,’ they give up. So, you never give up, never give up.”
Rey is survived by his wife, Ruth Arenas Hernandez and their children, Monique (David) Maling and Rey Jr. (Amanda) Hernandez. He has three grandchildren: Carlo, Michelle and Raven. He is also survived by his brothers Bartolo Louie (Molly) Hernandez, and Peter Martin Hernandez, and his sister Genevieve (Robert) Granados. Rey was an uncle to countless nieces and nephews as well as several godchildren. Throughout the city, Rey was known for his generosity, heart and volunteerism.
Rey’s inurnment was held Friday, July 10, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. To share a memory and read reflections on his life: visit remembering-rey.com.
