Remembering Hermosa Beach’s Al Barrera
Reporter’s note: Alfonso Barrera Jr., a longtime fixture in the Hermosa pier area known for his friendly smile, succumbed to respiratory failure and pneumonia late Monday night on Oct. 12 at Little Company of Mary Hospital. He was 61 years old. He is survived by his son Alfonso Jr. III, daughter and younger siblings Rosie, Gloria, Lydia, Vickie, David and Peter.
Barrera’s family is in the process of planning a memorial service. The portrait below was originally published in 2012 as part of Easy Reader’s “Homeless in the South Bay: In Their Own Words” series.
Alfonso Barrera Jr., captured in November 2012. Photo
Al Barrera’s slurred words are difficult to understand at first, but he carries a certain charm that progressively overrides that minor impediment. Lines of wrinkles embellish his deep-set hazel eyes. His underbite reveals his crooked bottom teeth, and fresh stubble peppers his leathered face. A trucker hat sits pressed on his head, partially hiding the wild wisps of his curly grey hair. Yet what’s most noticeable about Barrera, who is 58, is the unadulterated enthusiasm he relays, whether he is recalling the alcoholism that led him to the streets, the drug dealing that briefly kept him off the streets or his spending his nights under the Hermosa Beach pier for nearly 30 years. He is not enthusiastic about the past, but he appears to have made his peace with the present. — Esther Kang
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In his own words:
“It started on January 7, 1954 when I was born in Torrance Memorial. My parents were always into God, so from an early age I always loved God. I took all these classes, and then all of a sudden I just started screwing up. Drinking too much. Then it became a haze because I turned into a real heavy alcoholic, but I’m not so bad now. That took me to the streets. Alcohol is the gateway drug. You start drinking and all of a sudden you’re always drunk and you say, I need something stronger, you know? I tried weed but it was mellow, I was like, this ain’t good enough. I OD’ed maybe 10 times. I got off the streets from selling weed in Hermosa Beach – I did that for years. And I started selling coke. I was just trying to keep myself off the streets…. The beach has a tendency – the surfing, the girls – it hooks you bad. But you also see people on the sand working real hard and so…
I’m doing better. You know, you see a lot of homeless people who are younger, like in their 20s and stuff, and you don’t want to die alone, that’s for damn sure. My last girlfriend died under my arms, underneath the pier. She slammed down a fifth, just like that. It was about three years ago. I think it’s hard to let somebody in because you always think they’re gonna leave you, you know what I mean? I don’t like to be alone.
I’m not saying that I might just die on the streets, but they like me down here. The police bought me a brand new guitar. I can play the guitar pretty decent. What happens is, a lot of times I show up at car accidents before they do. This one time, a lady and her baby were trying to cross PCH and these cars just ignored her and so I stopped the cars and let the lady go. I do a lot of stupid little [things] trying to help people out. I don’t know if it was because of that. I have a pretty good reputation. I’ve got more people who love me than hate me.
I’ve been on the streets for about 30 years. I sleep underneath the pier. We’re like vagabonds. Everybody takes it day by day. I know I’ll be around a year from now.
My goal is to be a good human being. Just because you’re homeless doesn’t mean your morals are dead. I still believe that you should treat everyone as you want them to treat you. And if they’re bad to you, it doesn’t mean you have to be bad back to them. Just turn the other cheek. Jesus goes, if you’re freezing and they’re freezing and they ask you to give them your coat, just give it to them. It’s better to give it to them than to lose your life over a stupid coat.”
Al Barrera as captured in November 2012. Photo
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In his time, Barrera managed to touch many lives. One of those was Johnny “2/3rds” Anderson, pastor with King Harbor Church who give a mass at Noble Park each Friday that Barrera invariably attended. In an e-mail, Anderson recounted the depths of Barrera’s faith.
“Alfonso Barrera lived beneath the Pier. He was such a sweet caring man. His impact, his smile were soft and genuine. He made his home here in Hermosa. If you knew him, you were blessed…A couple years back Alfonso began requesting that we would pray for a daughter of one of our local policemen who was struggling with cancer. The cancer went into remission and Alfonso continued to remind us to pray for this young girl, faithfully knowing it was God who healed and he who interceded with prayer on her behalf. Alfonso prayed for her every Friday until he passed. Alfonso’s faith was so child-like and so inspiring to me.
Whenever Alphonse would pray he always finished, ” And God, please let me win the lottery!” Monday night Alphonse finally won. He went home to be with the Lord while his friends prayed and sang over him at Little Company of Mary Hospital. He will be so missed.”