Isvaldo Perez

Isvaldo Perez, 86, of Miami, FL, passed away in his home on February 17, 2021 following a lengthy but valiant battle with cancer. He died as he had lived, with fierce determination to be together with family, who was by his side in the days and hours before his passing. Isvaldo was born on September 28, 1934 to Hortencia (Perez) and Marcelo Perez in Mayajigua, Cuba. He married Miriam Hernandez on February 15, 1963 and the next year had his first of two sons. It was his desire for a better life for his young family that drove his decision to leave Cuba on May 27, 1968, a decade after the Cuban. Isvaldo, Miriam and their four-year-old son, Isvaldo Jr., left their beloved country on one of the so-called Freedom Flights arranged between Washington and Havana. With less than a high school education and no understanding of English, the family made their way to New Jersey, where the local Catholic Charities organization supported them for two weeks and a relative helped Isvaldo find work at a tannery. He had another son, Richard, four years later and Isvaldo worked long hours at the tannery for decades to support his family and provide for his sons’ education. In December 1977 Isvaldo became a U.S. citizen and a devoted American. His heart remained in Cuba, which he often visited to see relatives, but he never permanently returned because he considered the United States the best country in the world, where the American dream was for him a reality. He instilled in his sons a strong work ethic, and stressed the importance of their educations. Both attended college, the first in Isvaldo’s family to do so, and later graduate school. After both had married, Isvaldo and Miriam moved to Miami to be closer to beloved family and friends. There he helped newly arrived Cubans establish themselves in the United States, sponsoring them and helping them find work, as had been done for him. He and Miriam loved to go on cruises with friends, and often traveled to visit their sons and grandchildren as they moved throughout the country. The Perezes’ southwest Miami home became a focal point of social activity – holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and the like – often highlighted by elaborate pig roasts and domino games that went well into the night. Isvaldo rarely lost at dominoes, and if he did it was likely because his partner couldn’t count the

tiles like he could! Isvaldo loved to tell jokes, debate politics and, most of all, to delight in time spent with family. In recent years he beat the odds time and again staving off various forms of cancer. Most recently, he underwent several lengthy surgeries, yet he continued to fight to return home to be near his loved ones. He is preceded in death by his parents and eight siblings: Marcelo, Felix, Lidia, Eva, Nilda, Obdulio, Julio and Lino. He is survived by his wife, Miriam; his two sons, Isvaldo (Anne) and Richard (Michele); six grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Monday, February 22, 2021 at Caballero Rivero Westchester, 8200 Bird Road, Miami, FL 33155. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at St. Agatha Iglesia, 1111 SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL 33174, followed by a burial at Woodlawn Park Cemetery South, 11655 SW 117th Ave., Miami, FL 33186.