Juan Cruz-Gomez

April 26, 1922 - January 14, 2014

Age: 91

Residence: Miami, Florida

Juan Cruz-Gomez, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, son, husband

passed away on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at Baptist Hospital, Miami, Florida.

Juan was born at 9:00 a.m. on April 26, 1922 in his parent's home, Finca la Varia,

Barrio Encarnacion, Catalina de Gines, Habana, Cuba. His parents were Crispulo

Cruz Alvarez from Catalina and Amparo Gomez Leon from the Canary Island,

Spain.

Juan worked in the family farm along with his father and brother, Jose Manuel

Cruz; the brothers worked a number of jobs as they were growing up. Juan's first

job away from the farm as a young boy was at the local hardware store cleaning

and stocking merchandize. Juan's education was cut short because of the need to

work at the farm. However, his math and business skills well surpassed those of

many with more formal education.

Juan married Domitila Fara Fundora Dominguez on September 11, 1948 in a civil

ceremony. Juan and Domitila followed with a church wedding on January 28,

1949, performed by Fr. Serafn Ajuria. Juan and Domitila had two children, Juan

Oscar, born in 1951 and Ileana, born in 1956.

During his life in Cuba Juan was able to develop a business network which

consisted of farming, fertilizer sales, and the ownership of a Massey Ferguson

tractor dealership in Catalina. Like many others in Cuba Juan had to leave his

homeland after the revolution. He and his family ended up in Panama.

While in Panama City, Juan worked unloading lumber from barges, eventually

operating a crane. The family then moved to the town of Chitre. While in Chitre

Juan built and repaired John Deere tractors. He would load tractor parts into

boxes, then onto mules, take them into the jungle and put them together, He

would teach the native population how to maintain and operate them. He was

always amazed how the native population would beat the tractors in the morning.

This was to get the snakes that crawled onto the tractor overnight for the warmth.

The family then moved to Miami Florida, Domitila and the children moved first,

arriving to the then "safety" of Miami, FL on October 21, 1962; Missile Crisis

anyone. Juan soon followed.

The family moved to 929 SW 5th St. Juan obtained a job working as a farm hand

in the Homestead area. Soon the farmer found out Juan knew about tractors and

Juan moved up to a tractor operator. Eventually Juan bought two non-working

1954 Chevy Bellaire cars. Many late nights after work hours the two cars became

one working car. In 1964 the family moved to Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. In PR Juan

farmed and was also a partner in several businesses over the last 48 years. Juan

then moved to Miami, Fl. where he was living at the time of his death.

Juan is survived by his wife, Domitila; children Juan Oscar (Linda) of Greeley, CO

and Ileana (Jorge) Bardisa of Fort Lauderdale, FL; three grandchildren Jessica (Bill)

Poppe Cruz, Christopher Crispulo Cruz and Jorge Antonio Bardisa; two nieces

Gloria Cruz and Maria Cruz Delgado; and three great-granddaughters Megan,

Mallory and Mackenzie Poppe (the MP3s).

Juan was preceded in death by his parents Crispulo and Amparo and his

brother, Jose Manuel.

Memorial Services will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Fred Hunter

Funeral Home, 6301 Taft St. Hollywood, FL. 954-989-1550