Gertrudis Rodriguez Abreu

Gertrudis R Abreu of Dallas, Texas passed away July 5, 2021 at the age of 98. She was born in Nuevitas, Camaguey, Cuba on September 20, 1922, the oldest of seven children of Julio Rodriguez and Juana Ruano. She met the love of her life, Jorge Abreu, in Havana when she went to enroll in evening English classes. They were married August 7, 1943 and were married for fifty-three years. They had two daughters, Consuelo and Gloria. Jorge ran the family business, Abreu’s Custom Brokers Agency and Gertrudis stayed home and ran the household.

In 1961, after the Cuban Communist Revolution, the family relocated to the United States, leaving everything they owned behind, to start a new life. Gertrudis worked for many years in several contact lenses manufacturing businesses in the customer service department. She reluctantly retired at age 85.

Abuelita, as she was lovingly called by her grandchildren, enjoyed cooking, sewing, fashion and traveling. For many years, her passion was baking and decorating cakes for her grandchildren’s birthdays and special occasions. She was actively involved in her grandchildren’s lives by babysitting, traveling, attending school events, talent shows, band concerts and recitals.

She was preceded in death by her husband Jorge Abreu, her parents Julio Rodriguez and Juana Ruano, two brothers, Julio and Carlos Rodriguez and two sisters, Irma Montells and Edith Marcos. She is survived by her daughters Connie Cuello and Gloria Clanton, her grandchildren, Rose Marie Cuello, Ann Tilger, Jeremy Spinks, Natasha Baker, and Mary Beth Arnold, great grandchildren Amanda Tilger, Ryan Tilger, Noah Sahagun, Jacob, Charlotte and Elin Baker, Daphne and Wyatt Spinks, and two great-great granddaughters, Samara and Jayden Tilger. She is also survived by two sisters, Julieta Hernandez, and Noemi Rodriguez and several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the ladies who so lovingly cared for her for the last eight years and the VITAS nurses who cared for her the past weeks.