Libertad Perez

Libertad, 104, was born on August 10, 1921, in Guantánamo, Cuba. Her parents, Alejandro Campos Navarro and Vicenta Izquierdo Montalar, emigrated from Masamagrell, Valencia, Spain, to Cuba in the early 1900s.

She spent her early childhood with her younger siblings on the family farm, just outside of Guantanamo. She later moved to the city to live with close relatives so she could attend school.

On November 23, 1943, she married José María Pérez Pérez, with whom she shared 71 loving years until his passing in 2014. Their children, Rafael, María, and José were born in Cuba between 1944 and 1954. With love and devotion, she created a home in Guantanamo that was comforting and full of life, where her children always felt safe and cared for. Her talents as a homemaker, especially her cooking and sewing, beautifully blended Spanish and Cuban traditions and were renowned among family and friends. Her children especially cherished weekends at their grandparents’ farm, enjoying meals that reflected their Cuban and Spanish heritage. These days often turned into joyful family and friends reunions, filled with laughter, music, and shared stories.

In November 1961, Libertad came to the United States to join her children in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was reunited with her husband some months later. She spent the next 13 years in New York City, where she recreated a stable and loving home for her family. She helped build a local Cuban community, spending time with other families who had also journeyed from Cuba. Their fourth child, Alex, was born in New York City in 1964.

Following José María’s job transfer in 1973, the family moved to San Francisco, California, where Libertad dedicated herself to caring for her loved ones and reconnecting with relatives who had resettled on the West Coast.

In 1977, José María retired, and the family made their home in Miami, Florida. They continued to travel, exploring Florida and visiting Puerto Rico, where other family members had settled, and the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They also traveled to Spain to reunite with Spanish relatives.

The greatest joys of her life were her children, grandchildren, and great-granddaughter. She instilled in them the values of love, acceptance, respect, and kindness toward others. Her four children survive Libertad: Rafael Pérez (Susan Pérez), María Morgan (Bob Morgan), José Pérez, and Alex Pérez (Viviem Caragol); her grandchildren, Ana Carla Pérez Smith, Isabel Pérez, and AJ Pérez; and her great-granddaughter, Sidonia Smith. Libertad was preceded in death by her siblings Vicente Campos Izquierdo, Alejandro Campos Izquierdo, and Sara Campos Garcia.