Maria Cespedes

Maria Josefina Ferro Cespedes was born on September 18, 1924, in Camagüey, Cuba, the third of the four children born to Bernardo José Ferro and Maria Teresa Posada Ferro, and she died peacefully at home on April 23, 2024. Maria grew up in the country, as her father was the manager of a sugar mill in Cuba. At one of the dances sponsored by the sugar mill, Maria met the man she would marry—quickly telling all the other young ladies to stay away. And in 1946, she did marry Ernesto Raul Cespedes, her husband of 68 years, and they had four children, Floris Maris Cespedes St. Amant (Alex), Ernesto R. Cespedes, Jr. (Laura), Carlos Andres Cespedes (Maria), and Jorge Lorenzo Cespedes (Juliann).

Unfortunately, after the communist revolution in Cuba, Maria was first separated from her children, who were sent to the United States, and later from her husband, who was not allowed to leave Cuba. She and the children were reunited after seven months, but the family was not fully reunited for ten years, when Ernesto was finally released from his confinement as a political prisoner in Cuba. During that time of separation, Maria kept the family together and put all four of her children through college.

She is predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son, Jorge, one grandson, Joseph Albert Cespedes, and her son in law, Alex St. Amant II. She is survived by her remaining three children, thirteen grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Maria was a remarkably strong woman of great faith and tremendous joy, and we will miss her presence in our lives. But we know that she has gone to the destination we all long for, and we believe we will see her again.

We will have a funeral at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.