Guillermo A. de la Portilla Jr.

We are here today not just to mourn the passing of Guillermo de la Portilla or Willy as he was known to friends and family but to celebrate the life of Willy and the legacy he has left behind.

During his life on earth Willy managed many accomplishments often the result of his undeniable work ethic. Like many Cubans of his era, his family was forced to leave a familiar and successful past only to arrive in the United States and start anew. He accepted the new challenge andworked hard to learn a new language, adapted to a different culture, and learned new trades just to help his family progress.

Willy gravitated towards the mechanical trade which allowed him to stabilize himself in the U.S. After completing mechanical school, he started working for Toyota. He eventually left Toyota to start his own enterprise, Motortech Automotive which remained open until his retirement. It was Willy’s unyielding work ethic that allowed him his success but the motivation behind that work ethic was always family. Willy worked hard to provide for his wife and daughters. He never wanted them to be without anything he felt they deserved while always focusing on doing it the right way.

As many of you know Willy was meticulous, detail-oriented, and alwaysover prepared for everything. Working for him could not have been easy and all his son in laws can attest to that. We often laugh sharing our tales about the stress, the turmoil, the beads of sweat, the anxiety of starting a home project and knowing Willy was on his way to visit. He loved to rib us with his patented Cuban comments “eso es Mickey Mouse”, “tú lo pudistes haber echo asi” or his favorite “ha eso se le pone más concreto”. We would often have to start the project all over and relent to his advice, simply because he did things right. He wouldn’t compromise on what he felt was right. He ran his business and life like that. I can still remember the time I bought a boat and was eager to get it out on the ocean. He had me meet him at his shop which is where the boat was being stored at the time. I quickly got a reality check when I noticed this his idea of fun for the day was having me drive the boat trailer up and down an empty street for 4 hours on a Sunday, all so I would be prepared at the marina and as usual he was right. Willy’s belief in always doing things the right way was just how he lived life.

Upon his retirement Willy made it a point to invest as much time with his family as possible. He had worked hard to provide for his family and now he was going to work hard at enjoying his family. He wanted to soak up every moment, every touch, every conversation, every rib. He wouldn’t hesitate at an opportunity to help guide a son in law to fix a car, painting the house with Thomas, teaching Marco about tools, playing with Zoey and Emma, talking on the phone with Sebastian and Paolo or just hugging and caressing his daughters and Sophies hair, as long as he was spending time with family.

Willy had some big hands; I mean Willy was only about 5 feet 4 inches in height, but he had the hands of a 6 foot 8 inch stone mason. His hands were rough, strong, his knuckles swollen from decades of mechanical work, but it always astonished me at how gentle he was with them. It was a marvel to see him stroke my wife’s face or hold hands with my sister in laws with the softest of touch, pat his grandchildren on the head or just place his hand on his wife’s knee with such gentle affection, it was something he mastered because it was his family and he protected them affectionately.

In Willy’s final year his resolve was often tested but he persevered. He accepted countless drives to the hospital and endless doctor visits accompanied by his wife and daughters. I believe he wouldn’t have traded those exhausting excursions because they often ended in a visit to get some “cafecito” with his family, the ultimate reward. He always acceptedany suggested treatment with the goal of making sure his daughters were happy and satisfied that they did all they could for him. He wanted to make sure that they didn’t live with any future regrets. Rest assured that he knows you did all you could as daughters, and he loves you and he knows you love him. I know because he told me so.

As I sat down with him recently, he shared his thoughts on how unfair this had become on Mercedes, his wife. Willy was a proud man and he found it unfair that his daily routines were now physically and mentally her responsibility to bear. Mercedes, it was imperative for him to make sure he left you comfortable and stable. Rest assured he appreciated your love and support despite being “un refunfuñon” at times. Willy often shared with me that this wasn’t the end he had envisioned for himself and especially for you. He loved you dearly and is eternally thankful for your love, support, care and the family you both created.

In the end it was that family he worked for all his life that surrounded him in his final moments. He knew it too, taking the opportunity to hear from everyone how much he meant to them and how much he was loved. As Mercedes told me at the hospital once his daughters arrived “he’s happy his medicine has arrived, esta tranquilo”.

To his Grandchildren, Zoey, Emma, Marco, Thomas, Sophie, Sebastian and Paolo never forget the inspiration, consideration, tenderness, experiences and spiritual leadership Abuelo demonstrated and shared with you, carry it forward and make him proud.

To his daughters, Alicia, Christy, Pachi and Maria Claudette you were his life. Every move he made in his life he made for you. Carry on his request to remain there for each other regardless of what life puts in front of you as he did for you.

In closing, Willy was a resolute son of Christ and there is no doubt in my mind that by now he has already fulfilled his dream of worshipping in Christs presence. I am also sure he’s had a chance to inspect the pearly gates and perhaps suggest to Christ that it could use some more “concreto”. Therefore, he would be disappointed in me to miss an opportunity to invite you to a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He would want to make sure that one day you can again enjoy a touch, a conversation, a cafecito, un vinito with Willy. It’s what he would want “porque es lo correcto”.

A visitation for Guillermo will be held Tuesday, December 6, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South, 11655 SW 117 Ave, Miami, Florida 33186. A burial will occur Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 12:00 PM at Woodlawn Park South, 11655 SW 117 Ave, Miami, Florida 33186.