Felix Figueroa Torres, pictured with his family, was remembered as a giving person who enjoyed fishing and playing softball. He was killed in a motorcycle crash July 30. Submitted photo

Sabina Figueroa is urging motorists to use caution on roads after a tragic accident recently killed her husband.

Felix Figueroa Torres died in a collision on July 30. He was riding his motorcycle in the city of Jamestown and hit a car on Newland Avenue.

Sabina Figueroa hopes motorists will remember to be vigilant as they are driving. “Please take (motorcycle) safety more seriously,” she said. “Be on the lookout for them — they have no shield protecting them. Whether you are in a car or on a bike please use caution. Otherwise, it can affect people, and then their lives are gone.”

The Figueroas had known each other since they were children but later reconnected through a mutual friend in 2009. A year later the pair married, and together they raised 11 children in Jamestown. Figueroa said the family often went on vacation together, traveling to Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains. She said Felix was an avid fisherman, and often included his family on the excursions.

“We fished all over the place,” she recalled fondly. “We fished in Celoron, Ashville and Sherman — all over the place.”

Felix also participated in weekly softball games with his local team, “The Green Machine.” Figueroa said her family could often be found watching his games at Bergman Park and the field on Jones and Gifford Avenue. He was also very interested in riding his motorcycle and had gone so far as to teach Figueroa how to ride as well. Figueroa said he had been riding motorcycles for three years and was an enthusiastic rider.

However, the most memorable things about Felix were his sense of humor and his giving nature.

“Felix was a giving person,” she said. “He really did love his children, and he was always there for his friends and family in a time of need. He would do anything for them. He was always a joker, and he did anything to make people laugh. Even if he was annoying me, he could always make me laugh.”

Figueroa said she believes he would like everyone to remember that life is short, and to make the most of it.

“Love hard, and make sure everyone knows you love them,” she said.

The Figueroa family is not just grieving the loss of Felix but also his brother Alexis “Alex” Figueroa Torres, who was shot in late March in the city of Olean and succumbed to his wounds in Olean General Hospital. Figueroa said nothing has come of the investigation as of yet.

“His mom lost two sons,” Figueroa said. “The family is going through a lot right now.”

Figueroa said despite the pain, she does believe that her husband is in a better place with his brother now. She said his brother’s death hit him particularly hard, as they were very close.

“He couldn’t bounce back after that death,” she said. “He had a hard time ever since.”

While no memorials for Felix have been set up, Figueroa said they are forthcoming. At some point, she hopes to have funds set up for each of her children, as this is a very trying time for the family.

“It’s tough,” she said. “The kids have a lot of emotions, but the older ones can handle it a little bit better. The younger ones don’t know how to control their emotions some of the time. It’s just day by day.”