Jordan was 11 and an enthusiastic sixth grader at South Orangetown Middle School, the kind of boy classmates and teachers alike couldn’t help but smile at, if only because they knew they would receive one of Jordan’s infectious grins in return.

“How’s life?,” they might ask, and whether it was or not, Jordan inevitably replied, “Great!” “He was always very optimistic, always with a smile,” said his grandmother, Nilsa B. Barreto. “You couldn’t tell when he was upset or sad. He was just a wonderful little boy — well mannered, a gentleman and a very loving person. He would put other people first, and he was much loved by his family.”

With his bubbly personality and caring ways, Jordan always brought a sparkle to the eyes of his mother, Kristien Barreto-Hurtt. As for Jonathan, the way Jordan saw it, he was the most excellent brother and best friend a guy could have. Jonathan felt exactly the same.

In the summer the boys would catch frogs, throw a Frisbee and ride their bikes, with Jordan saying hello to everyone he saw — sometimes, Jonathan surmised, just to bug him. In the evenings, the brothers might watch “TotalDrama Action” on Cartoon Network or play the video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” and on special occasions chow down on Domino’s pizza and Fudge Stripe cookies. And it was hard to top the memory of going on a cruise with their mother and grandmother.

Jordan was good with his hands and wanted to be a sculptor when he grew up, Jonathan said. His prized creations included an alien frog and a Pacman constructed out of cardboard and duct tape.

We’ll never know what Jordan could have been. But already he had brought unforgettable joy to those whose lives he touched. The community deeply mourns his loss.