Mr. Pedro Bueno

Pedro Miguel de Jesus Bueno Menéndez, 86, of Lake Charles died at 11:47 a.m., Wednesday, March 31, 2010. Surrounded by his family and in his home, he finally found the peace he long deserved after a twelve year, quiet battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Pedro was a native of Havana, Cuba, lived and worked in many countries throughout his life, and retired in Lake Charles. He was as a Senior Executive for Sterling Drugs/Winthrop Products in: Havana, Cuba; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Panama City, Panama; San Jose, Costa Rica; Mexico City, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Caracas, Venezuela. After 44 years of dedicated service, Pedro retired and then immediately started a second career with Trujillo & Sons in Miami, Florida for an additional 12 years. He was a parishioner of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.

If you knew Pedro, you know that he had a passion and a vigor for life that was not easily matched. He truly embodied the notion that one should never cease to use each day as an opportunity to learn and experience knew things in life. He was a lover of animals, proficient international ham radio operator, and enthusiastic to always understand how everything worked. Pedro had the gift of gab and never missed an opportunity to grab ANYONE’S ear whether you were family, friend, the grocery store bagger, movie theatre ticket taker, gas station attendant, restaurant waiter, or simply a random person in crossing.

Pedro was a dedicated husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and his greatest passion was his family: his love of 62 years, Bertha Brunet de Bueno; son, Pedro Antonio Bueno and his wife, Sylvia Martin Bueno; daughter, Lourdes Bueno Broussard; brother, Alberto Cristobal Bueno; five grandchildren, Pedro Antonio Bueno Jr., Eric Paul Broussard-Bueno, Cristina Nicole Broussard, Patrick Alexander Bueno, and Natalie F. Bueno; and four great-grandchildren, Simon Marcel Bueno, Sofia Brian Broussard, Jude Mirel Bueno, and Felix Tomas Bueno. Pedro and Bertha enjoyed life to the fullest traveling the world together, rearing a family, and encapsulating that rare and often sought ideal of true love. In the last few years, during his final moments of lucidity, Pedro could not say much, except that he was waiting for the love of his life, his beautiful Bertha.

His memory will endure not only through his family, but also through the many people whose lives he touched with his heartfelt stories, determined energy, and belief that we all grow closer in this great human project by simply reaching out to one another.

Pedro was preceded in death by: his parents, Salvador Bueno Cabral and Clara Menéndez Suñer de Bueno; his brother, Salvador Bueno Menéndez; his sister, Maria del Carmen Serra; and his son-in-law, Stephen Brian Broussard.

Pedro’s funeral will be held at Hixson Funeral Home on Good Friday, April 2, 2010. A gathering of friends will be between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. followed by a rosary service. The funeral will held be at 2 p.m. under the direction of Rev. Keith Pellerin. The internment of ashes will follow at Consolata Cemetery.

Words of comfort to the family may be expressed at www.MEM.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Judes Children’s Hospital (www.StJude.org/donatenow), the Alzheimer's Association (www.ALZ.org) or St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church (www.StMartindeporres-LC.org) in Pedro Bueno Menéndez’s name.