Maria Teresa De Soto

2020.

She was born on November 16th, 1932 in Havana, Cuba,

the daughter of Hector Gutierrez and Emelina Vazquez.

Teresa earned a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the

Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies and her Doctorate in

Pedagogy from the University of Havana.

Teresa spent 30 years at the Defense Language Institute at

the Presidio of Monterey. She started as a Professor to members

of all branches of the military, the FBI, CIA, DEA, etc., and

eventually rose to the position of Director of the entire Spanish

Department. While she was not technically a member of the

military, she served her country well. She prepared hundreds of

Interpreters, Voice Intercept Operators, and Cryptologic Linguists

for their assignments to embassies and military bases worldwide.

We thank her for her service.

She enjoyed gardening, traveling, dancing, and playing the

piano for others. She loved to sing and dance with her students,

playing with her grandchildren, and showing off her dance moves

to all lucky enough to be in her presence. Teresa was always the

life of the party.

She is mourned by her husband of 65 years, Emilio De Soto,

her daughter, Marta De Soto Lundgren, her son, Emilio De Soto

II, her grandson Jimmy Lundgren, her granddaughter Monica

Teresa Lundgren, her grandsons Emilio III, Massimo, and Santino

De Soto, and her great-granddaughter, Lucy Joy Lundgren.

The family suggests memorials to https://www.alzsd.org/.