Juanita Sotomayor

Juana “Juanita” Castro Sotomayor arrived on earth July 19,1933. She was born and raised in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, where, in 1948, she met the love of her life, German Sotomayor. Love, being what it is, Juanita and German exchanged wedding vows and rings in 1953 in Harlem, New York. After living in Brooklyn and the Bronx, they later relocated to Tampa, Florida.

Tough as nails doesn’t begin to describe how hard Juanita worked. During German’s many years as a Pentecostal minister, Juanita was by his side providing one-on-one assistance to all who needed shelter and financial help. The long countless hours never slowed or deterred her from raising four children – Gladis, German Jr., Elias and Efrain – as well as taking care of household chores. One of her passions was sewing which she pursued to supplement the household income. Sadly, in February 2006, German left Juanita’s side after 53 years of marriage following a long bout with Parkinson’s disease.

Juanita’s kindness and forgiveness were her biggest traits. She gave endlessly yet never asked for anything in return. Happily, these traits have been passed on to near perfection in daughter Gladis. Juanita had an undeniable level of energy that, had she been able to patent and bottle it, it would have made the family wealthy!

Not one to wear the latest fashions or strut fancy hairdos and manicures, what Juanita did possess was a natural gift for cooking and blending spices that would attract guests at all hours of the day or night. Her cooking would fill the air with tantalizing aromas and yield dishes that kept everyone coming back for seconds and thirds. One of her specialties was “pasteles con arroz y gandules.” Juanita did so much with so little, for so long, that she finally, quite literally, was able to do anything with nothing. The family home operated mostly as a food, goods and clothing pantry, and on many occasions, as a crash pad for anyone seeking a place to rest.

Juanita lived in Tampa, Florida, until called by her Creator on October 9, 2019. She is survived by her four loving children; brothers Ismael and Justo; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Also lovingly known as “Nina,” Juanita was an amazing 4’11” dynamo but, more importantly, a woman of God. She will be missed and remembered by the many people whose lives she touched.

Mom, God has heard your cries and in his ultimate wisdom has called you before his presence. Enjoy your new home in paradise where there will be no more pain or tears, only JOY!