By DALE MADISON

Although the name Paul Renaldo may not be familiar to you, if you have lived in South Florida for any length of time, you might have heard of Renaldo by his professional name. Known in the community as “Guido,” the local photographer was also the publisher of The Rimmer, a local monthly, black and white magazine publication that was available during the early years of the last decade. Guido died on April 14 after being hospitalized for over three months.

During its first year of publication, The Rimmer established the Sleazy Awards to help local non-profit organizations. Business owners were encouraged to decorate tables for their staff at local bars and restaurants. “The first one, the entrance fee was 69 cents,” remembers Toni Barone, the former owner of the Sea Monster bar and nightclub. “The event was always one of those things that people looked forward to,” recalls Barone, who hosted the event several times.

On Feb. 9, Renaldo was hospitalized with pneumonia at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. He was later transferred to hospice, where he remained until his death on Saturday. Friends mourned his passing.

“Guido had a good heart. He was kind to community and to the Quilt,” said Jodi Ihme of the Names Project. “Rest in peace, Guido. It was always great speaking to you.”

“There was no one who loved our community better than Guido,” former Scoop magazine publisher Brad Casey noted. “His passing is a major loss.” Keith Huber of the Florida Gay Rodeo Association called Renaldo’s death “a tremendous loss in our community.”

On a personal note, this writer helped Guido with a couple of his Sleazy awards and served on his Board of Directors for a year. His ideas for awards were signature–always off the wall, and always a little over the top. One year he purchased old wheel covers and gave them as the awards to the “Sleazy” winners. Over the years, he raised thousands of dollars, and once a year he would hold a food drive for Shadowood II, a local charity, at Monkey Business. He encouraged the community to participate through contributions of non-perishable goods in order to assist those who were homeless and living with HIV/AIDS.

Although he was short in stature, Guido was a giant who assisted those who were less fortunate. Sleep well Guido. You will be missed.

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