Hersilia M Maestu

Hersilia O. Menendez Gomez de Maestu passed away Thursday, May 25, 2023 at her home in Tampa, Florida. Mrs. Hersilia Maestu, age 95, was a native of Habana, Cuba and resident of Tampa since 1961. Mrs. Maestu was a member of Club 15, Inc., the Cuban Civic Club and St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Tampa. Hersilia started her work career in Cuba with La Horter as an accounting clerk, when the owners started a new company she transferred to Powe Machinery, the Caterpillar Distributor in Habana as an internal accountant. There she met the love of her life Jose G. Maestu, Sr. to whom she was married to for 46 loving years. In Tampa, she was the foreperson for the sewing manufacturing department of Mae Fabrics, a major provider of custom drapes in the Tampa Bay area, for many years where she made many lifelong friends.

All of her life, Hersilia devoted herself to her family - her sisters, her mother, her husband and most of all her loving son, Junior. She took care of them when they were ill and stood by their sides through the good times and the bad. In her mind, her main role on earth was to take care of her loved ones.

Mrs. Maestu was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jose G Maestu, Sr.; parents, Fernando Menendez and Raquel “Nene” Gomez de Menendez; brother, Nelson R. Portela; sisters Yolanda Arrazcaeta, Raquel “Cuca” Carrodeguas, Martha Pazos, and Maria Teresa Menendez; aunts and uncles, Herminia “Nena” Portela, Jose “Pepe” Cordovez, Ramon Menendez, Gonzalo Menendez, Ernesto Menendez and Jose “Silvio Menendez; brothers-in-law, Antonio Carrodeguas, Ramon "Mongo" Arrazcaeta, Carlos "Toto" Pazos, Faustino Maestu, and Juan E. Maestu; sister in law Gladys Portela: nephews Carlos A. Pazos and Richard Pazos. Survivors include her son, Jose Gabriel Maestu, Jr.; brother in law Juan E Maestu; cousin Mercedes Menendez, nieces and nephews, Raquel J. Carrodeguas, Lourdes Vasquez, Raymond Arrazcaeta (wife Marife), Fernando Arrazcaeta (wife Yvette), Nelson Arrazcaeta (wife Sharla) , Olga Portela (husband Javi), Martha Portela Andreu, and niece in law Carol Pazos; goddaughter, Gladys Portela and godson, Tommy Timberlake (wife Maile and great-great niece and nephew Raquelita & Antonio); and numerous loving great nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital, Hersilia’s favorite charity.

A visitation for Hersilia will be held Tuesday, May 30, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33614. A funeral mass will occur Wednesday, May 31, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St Joseph Catholic Church, 3012 W. Cherry Street, Tampa, FL 33607. A committal service will occur Wednesday, May 31, 2023 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Centro Espanol de Tampa Memorial Park, 4601 E. Lake Ave, Tampa, FL 33610.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gonzalezfuneral.com for the Maestu family.