Zulma I. Alvarado

Miami, Florida. On December 29, 1935 in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, Zulma was

born to her single mother, Palmira Rodriguez, who raised five children: Rafael,

Zulma, Pachin, Gloria, and Edwin Ortiz. She married her childhood sweetheart,

Luis Amaury Alvarado, on August 7, 1955 and they spent 67 years together. She

studied to be a teacher at the Catholic University of Santa Maria in Ponce.

She mothered two loving children, Afra Leticia and Carlos Rafael Alvarado in

Brooklyn, New York. She was a fierce mother, an immaculate homemaker who

kept a beautifully spotless home, and a passionate cook who loved nothing more

than to watch her family enjoy her delicious food. She enjoyed eating Italian and

Chinese food when taking a break from commanding the kitchen. She mastered

the sacred art of hospitality to all who showed up at her door unannounced,

welcoming family, friends, and even strangers. She was committed to her holistic

health, typically walking five miles a day and ensuring her family ate balanced

meals made with love. She was a devotee of the health gurus Richard Simmons

and Jack Lalanne. She was no stranger to a good joke and could often be heard

roaring with laughter at a witty, well-meaning joke when she wasn’t telling one.

Always on point, she was the manager of their bustling 60-unit building in

Brooklyn, collecting rent and caring for tenants, modeling the trustworthiness,

leadership, and grace we all associate with her. She liked to travel and the beach

was one of her favorite destinations. In New York she would be seen leading the

charge of children she took to Rockaway and Brighton Beach. Her favorite song

was Nuestro Juramento by Julio Jaramillo and some of her favorite singers were

Javier Solís, Eydie Gormé, Roberto Ledesma, Daniel Santos, and Vicente

Fernández. She loved to dance! She would dance all night if the music was

good.

Zulma was a genuine, hardworking, God-fearing woman. She was respected and

is held in high regard by everyone, leaving behind many nieces and nephews

she keenly mothered as her own. She was able to spend time with her five

granddaughters and two great granddaughters while strong, mobile, and full of

life. Remember her when your feet dance, your hands clean, and your heart

sings songs of family, friends, and faith. Her son Carlos proclaims, “God will have

a great time having her in Heaven with Him because God is not exempt from the

joy and laughter she brings. Heaven is a livelier place now that she has arrived.”

The public memorial gathering will be held from 6 to 10 p.m on Friday, April 1,

2022 at Caballero Rivero (8200 SW 40th St.) in Miami, FL. In lieu of flowers, the

family requests donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Visit

parkinson.org/ways-to-give to make a tribute gift in memory of Zulma Alvarado.