Luis Navarro

Luis Navarro Cuadras, 81, completed his work in this life on Thursday, February 1, 2018, at 10:51pm, in Van Nuys, California, peacefully and surrounded by family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Teresita; his daughter, Elena Maria; his son, Luis Manuel; his granddaughter, Dayra; his great-granddaughter, Savannah Jade; his sister, Alicia del Pilar “Nena”; his brother, Raul; and a great extended family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Luis Aurelio and Dolores “Alicia”; his brother, Jorge; and many dear friends.

Born and raised in Santiago de Cuba, the second child of Luis A. Navarro and Dolores “Alicia” Cuadras, Luis led a comfortable and idyllic early life. His father owned one of the largest pharmacies in the city, and he dreamt of becoming a lawyer. Until the Cuban Revolution.

Luis stopped attending college, and even going into the city, after he was twice almost arrested and “disappeared” by pro-government forces. In 1959, the Revolution ended, the new rulers of Cuba were not interested in lawyers, and universities were now only open to avowed Communists. But Luis followed his heart, refused to pledge fealty, and he and his family began planning their escape from the increasingly despotic new government.

For five years, Luis was forced to do terrible, back-breaking agricultural labor in order to receive his exit visa. Luis lost 40 pounds in the first month, as he dug ditches and subsisted on moldy bread. He also narrowly avoided being executed by a power-mad guard who had once been a childhood friend.

In 1961, Luis married his first wife, Elena Estrada. Their daughter, Elena Maria, was born on September 13, 1965. After nine years together, they separated shortly before the Navarro family was set to leave the island. The plan had been for his daughter to join him in the U.S. the following year, but circumstances intervened time and time again. Luis spent the next 20 years trying to reunite with her.

In 1970, Luis, his parents, and siblings were able to emigrate from Cuba to the United States. Upon stepping onto the tarmac at the airport in Miami, Luis stood in the sunlight and reflected on what had become of his life. At 34 years of age, Luis Navarro realized his old life had died, and he was now reborn into a new life in a new world. He had lost everything, but he had gained his freedom.

Luis quickly found employment at an insurance company called Fireman’s Fund, where he worked until 1986, rising through the ranks to become a supervisor. In 1972, his co-worker, Jose Menendez, and his wife, Sonia, arranged a fateful meeting between Luis and a 30-year-old recent Cuban exile named Teresita de Jesus Estrella Benita Fernandez Llano.

Luis was stunned by Teresita’s beauty, kindness, and charm, and after a five-month courtship, they were married. At age 36, Luis was slowly beginning to piece his life back together.

Although both Luis and Teresita desperately wanted children, they were unable to conceive for seven years, until Teresita finally became pregnant in late 1979. The couple bought a house in Van Nuys, which became their cherished home together for nearly 40 years. On June 12, 1980, they welcomed their beloved son, Luis Manuel.

In 1986, Luis was laid off from his long-time job at Fireman’s Fund. At 50 years of age, Luis Navarro once again reinvented himself, and worked as a realtor for the next 16 years. He and several others eventually founded their own office, International Realty and Financial Services, Inc., where Luis served as President. When the recession hit, the corporation was dissolved and he remained an independent realtor until his retirement in 2002.

In 1990, Luis was finally able to bring his now 25-year-old daughter, Elena Maria, her husband, and their baby, Dayra, to the United States. This fulfilled one of Luis’ greatest dreams, to have his family all under one roof.

On February 28, 1997, at age 61, Luis was taken hostage as part of the robbery of the North Hollywood branch of Bank of America. The streets of Los Angeles saw one of the fiercest shootouts in U.S. history that Friday morning, when bandits who botched a bank robbery turned their automatic weapons on police, bystanders and even helicopters. Hours later, Luis and the other hostages were released from the vault. He had once again defied death, and did all of his banking through ATMs after that.

In his retirement, Luis devoted himself to caring for his children and granddaughter. He worked tirelessly to encourage them to take full advantage of the opportunities his sacrifices had made possible. He was a loving husband, a tender and protective father and grandfather, and a passionate and loyal friend. He loved the Los Angeles Dodgers, coloring books, a good head scratch, and all the pleasures of life.

Luis Navarro’s life was a grand adventure. He lived through tremendous hardship and suffering, and maintained his integrity and honor. He never took the easy way out of the many difficult situations that he found himself in, and he taught all those around him how to truly live.

Luis accomplished the greatest successes one can hope for in this world: a loving wife, two adoring children, a granddaughter who idolizes him, a baby great-granddaughter he was able to hold in his arms, and an extended family that would do anything for him. He is forever loved, and will be forever remembered.

And after avoiding death’s clutches so many times, at the end, when the hood was drawn back, and he faced the great adversary, the truth was that death was not an enemy, not something to live in fear of facing, but merely a doorway, a portal to whatever comes next ... the next, great adventure.