Juan Abiud Lugo- Santiago

On June 29, 1943, Juan Abiud Lugo-Santiago (aka “Junior” and “John”) was the third of four sons born to the late Filomena Santiago-Rivera and Juan Lugo-Maldonado in San Joaquin, Puerto Rico. John’s two older brothers died in infancy.

John’s parents divorced when he was three; and four years later, “Filo” left Puerto Rico with John and his younger brother, Edgardo, for East Harlem, New York. In 1961, John graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School and immediately enlisted in the United States Air Force for four years. John was stationed at the Air Force bases in Greenville, Mississippi; San Antonio, Texas; and Lubbock, Texas, and learned plumbing and pipefitting. On April 16, 1966, John married Ruth Ocasio at Holy Rosary Church in New York City and moved to the Bronx. John and Ruth had three children: Liza, Wendy, and John Paul and moved to Yonkers and, later, Long Island. As a steamfitter/welder, John worked on some of the most important buildings in New York including the World Trade Center, in the early 1970s; Trump Tower; and the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant. John was a member of the AFL-CIO Locals 638 and 123. John loved music, especially Elvis; loved to dance; and was happiest when he was out in yard gardening. John took some college courses in drafting at Mercy College in the 1970s, but in the early 1990s he decided to pursue an auto mechanic program. Then, he helped everyone with any car problem. John loved to fix and build things.

But above all, John had tremendous faith and knew the power of prayer. He was a fighter. For twenty-five years, he battled numerous serious illnesses – heart disease, lung cancer, and diabetes. John was a force to be reckoned with and a model of strength. He loved his family and friends. All one had to do was ask, and he would come.

At 79, Our Lord called John home with loved ones by his side. John is survived by his children Liza, with her husband, Darryl; Wendy; and John Paul; goddaughter Allison; his grandchildren Michael, Miguel, Anthony, Krystal, Liza-Marie, and Gabriella; his great-grandchildren Kamari, Cruzcelina, Ezekiel, Damian, Kaden, Mila, Malakai, Azuriah, Mateo; three brothers Eliud, Arnold, Hirenaldo; nieces and nephews; a host of cousins; and all who loved him.

A funeral mass will be held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Burial with full military honors will follow at Tallahassee National Cemetery at 5015 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida 32311. Refreshments for family and friends will be in the garden of the Treadwell home after services.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CulleysMeadowWood.com for the Lugo- Santiago family.