Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37, was the kind of friend who was also a brother, according to his friends.
Known as "Danny" to his friends, Wilson-Leon was a native of Puerto Rico and lived in Kissimmee with his longtime partner, Jean Carlos Mendez Perez.
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Wilson-Leon was a manager at an Altamonte Springs shoe store.
“He was a faithful friend, kind and hardworking,” WIlson-Leon’s friend Wanda Ferrer told News 6.
Both Wilson-Leon and Mendez Perez were killed at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.
They couple’s relationship also began at the club where they bumped into each other again and hit it off. They initially met when Wilson-Leon bought a bottle of Declaration by Cartier perfume from Mendez Perez.
The couple were proof that opposites attract which is why they loved each others so much, Ferrer remembered about the pair.
“Danny would take care of (Jean) a lot because he was like a little boy,” Ferrer said.
Longtime friend, Daniel Gmys-Casiano said it wasn’t always easy for Wilson-Leon who was bullied growing up and often called homophobic slurs.
“He was the first person on this earth I came out to, and he always protected and loved his friends. His strength and character was always an inspiration to all of us," Gmys-Casiano said.
After a joint memorial for the couple, Wilson-Leon was buried in Puerto Rico and Mendes Perez was buried in Kissimmee.
A year after the couple’s deaths Ferrer said she feels a huge emptiness, but feels Wilson-Leon is looking out for her still.
“Danny was and will always be my best friend, “she said. “He will always live in my memories … he’s taking care of me from above.”
