Marta was born to the late Nemesio Gonzalez-Pinon and Claudina Valdes-Ojeda Pina in Havana, Cuba, on November 11, 1944. She was raised by her God Mother, Asuncion Barroso Pinon and her husband, Juan Rafael Fraginals who also pre-deceased her.
Marta grew up in Havana and attended a private American school for high school. She completed one year of college as well until the Cuban government closed all of the American schools.
She married the great love of her life, Felipe Becerra, on August 29, 1964. When they discovered her pregnant in 1965, they made the decision to try to leave Cuba and come to the United States to protect their child. Their only child, Lazaro David Becerra, was born in 1966; and it was not until after both Marta and Felipe served in government work camps for 2 years did the three of them receive permission to leave Cuba.
On September 23, 1970, they left all of their family to bring their son to the United States to give him a better life. In 1981, the family became US citizens. They settled in the Greater Miami area. Although Marta missed the country where she was born, she and her husband fully embraced their new country and adopted its traditions. She was very proud to be a US citizen and enjoyed and treasured all the freedoms she had seen stripped from the Cuban people.
After doing many odd jobs, usually two at a time, she got a job with the City of Miami where she worked for 18 years until her retirement. There she worked her way up to become Supervisor of the Building and Zoning Microfilm Department.
In 1995, she and her late husband moved to Lake Worth, FL; and in 1999 welcomed their only granddaughter, Kayla Maria. Marta and her husband became doting grandparents and were deeply involved in her upbringing. After Felipe’s death in 2005, Marta took up painting which had been a talent and love of her husband’s. Both were self-taught artists. Marta gained additional painting skill watching Bob Ross on television. While Kayla was growing up this was a show they watched together.
In October 2018, Marta moved into an apartment at Cherry Laurel Retirement Home when her son and daughter-in-law, Lazaro and Nancy, moved to Tallahassee. She was very excited to make the move as she had loved the Tallahassee area when she had visited over 30 years ago. At Cherry Laurel she made many great friends and enjoyed the social activities in the few months before becoming ill and diagnosed with stage 4 intestinal cancer. She enjoyed the regular visits she received during her decline from her resident friends and many of the Cherry Laurel staff whom she also considered friends.
In addition to enjoying painting, Marta loved to dance even when she was wheelchair bound. She enjoyed a variety of music from Cuban artists and American crooners, Frank Sinatra being one of her favorites, to religious hymns and Kenny G and all Christmas music. She loved nature- trees, flowers, animals, and landscapes. She took in and appreciated all the beauty in life.
Her wonderful smile, positive attitude and the kindness she extended to everyone she met will be greatly missed, but we will try to always carry those with us and pay them forward to honor her.
Marta is survived by her son, Lazaro D Becerra; daughter-in-law, Nancy K Becerra; the light of her life- her granddaughter, Kayla M Becerra; siblings still residing in Cuba- sisters Nilda Gonzalez and Gladys Alpizar and brothers Julio Alpizar, Eduardo Alpizar and Humberto Alpizar; nd numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in both Cuba and the United States.
We, as a family, are deeply grateful to the staff and residents at Cherry Laurel for their kindness and friendship. Additionally, we are very grateful to her personal care givers and her Big Bend Hospice nurse, aides and providers of care and therapy who all treated her with respect and love. Lastly, but certainly not least we are forever grateful to Fr. John Cayer from St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church for his weekly visits with Marta. Marta was a devout Catholic who had not been able to attend Mass due to her physical limitations for many years. His kindness in providing her with communion weekly and additional Catholic Sacraments helped her feel even more at peace and further strengthened her faith, if that is possible.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to Big Bend Hospice, St Jude’s Children’s Hospital or St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Tallahassee will honor her memory.
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