Manuel Enrique Calderon, 76, passed away unexpectedly on January 12, 2020. Manuel was an incredible, accomplished man with many interests and hobbies. Below is an excerpt from one of his daughters that speaks to her father's legacy.
My dad was an avid reader, a passionate traveler, a incredibly hardworking man that used to work up to 4 jobs at a time, he was INCREDIBLY generous, he was kind, he was honest, he was a great friend, uncle, brother, son, father, and grandparent.
My dad always had goals and he made them happen regardless of his age. He always loved planes, and his dream was to learn how to fly, when he was 50, he took aviation classes and flew a plane! He always wanted to learn to play guitar, he did that when he was 60, and he always wanted to keep on learning, so much, that until his last week at 76 years old, he was enrolled in school perfecting his English.
My dad was the most intelligent human I've ever met, I used to say my dad was a walking encyclopedia, he remembered dates, years, names, you could talk to him about ANY topic and he would go into details that would literally blow your mind! I wish I had half of his intelligence and I am going to miss talking to him about history, which is a passion we both shared.
If you're familiar with the Ecuadorian culture men are tough, they're not taught to tell their kids they love them. The way they show their love is by working hard, making sure there was always food on the table, to provide them an education, and to install honor, honesty, and hard working skills to your children. That was my dad. This last Christmas eve, my dad came to dinner, he was so happy that day. When he was ready to leave, he came to me and told me that he was so proud of me, that he admired the person I was, and that he was reading that he needed to tell his kids he loved them but his culture never taught him that and that from now on he was going to tell me he loved me everytime. He hugged me strong like he never had before and I was shocked. "I told him, dad don't worry it's all good, I love you too."
Manuel was deeply loved and cherished and will be missed by so many.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that a Memorial Donation be made in his memory that will serve as a grant for a History Major at the University of Central Florida. There will be a donation box at the services checks may be made payable to Francia Vogini or a donation may be made via Venmo. The designated number for the Venmo account is (321)277-2067.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18