Lenys Cabanas Gonzalez

May 11, 1937 – May 1, 2025

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Lenys Felisa Cabanas passed away peacefully on May 1, 2025, surrounded by those who loved her dearly. Her life was a story of courage, creativity, and unwavering love — the kind of story that reminds the rest of us what truly matters.

Born in the Holguin province of Cuba on May 11, 1937, to Alba Rosa and Alfredo Gonzalez, Lenys grew up in a home filled with affection and laughter. When her little sister Lourdes was born two years after her, the Gonzalez family was complete — just the four of them, tightly knit and full of dreams.

Her childhood unfolded in Havana, where she completed her studies at Colegio de Colombia. Even as a young girl, Lenys had an eye for beauty. She found joy in the arts—music, painting, sketching—and everything she touched carried her signature sparkle. That love of beauty led her to a job behind the makeup counter at a department store in Havana, but her heart was already being drawn toward something even more enduring: building a family.

In 1957, at just 19, she married Manuel Andres Cabanas at the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad. It was the beginning of a partnership that would span nearly seven decades—a marriage marked by resilience, sacrifice, and deep devotion. In 1958, not long after their wedding, Manuel won a prize on Cuba’s first televised game show. With that prize money, the young couple bought their first home and welcomed two children into their lives: Lenys del Carmen in 1959, and Manuel in 1961.

But history has a way of knocking on the doors of ordinary families. As the Cuban Revolution tightened its grip, Lenys and Manuel faced hard choices. In 1966, with nothing but faith, grit, and three changes of clothes each, they left everything they knew behind. Their journey took them first to Spain, then to New York City, where they began again—with nothing, but not without hope.

While Manuel worked five jobs to provide, Lenys built a home in a land that wasn’t yet familiar. She cooked, she raised children, and when she discovered she was pregnant again, she welcomed their third child, Michael, in 1971—a surprise gift she called her regalito de Papa Dios, God’s little present. Even as her older children became teenagers, Lenys leaned into motherhood once more with joy and grace.

The family moved to Miami in 1974, seeking community and sunshine. In the Westchester neighborhood, Lenys carved out a new chapter—working with her brother-in-law, the beloved Dr. Juan Hernandez, in his ophthalmology practice for over 25 years, all while pouring her creative energy into her children’s school projects, sewing dresses, planning celebrations, and offering her time, talents, and heart to her family and church.

If you were lucky enough to know Lenys, you knew this: she showed up. She chaperoned field trips to Orlando parks, made dioramas sparkle with flair, and once sewed her daughter’s wedding dress by hand. She painted prolifically, filling her home with color and light, and often gave her artwork as gifts—each one a piece of her heart, offered to dear friends and family. Whatever needed doing, she did—with style, with heart, and always with a quiet confidence that everything would turn out okay.

Her Catholic faith shaped her, grounded her, and gave her strength through life’s trials. Her love of family defined her. And her legacy? It lives on in every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild who now carries a little piece of her spirit.

Lenys didn’t chase fame or fortune. She chose something far greater: to build a life that mattered. And she did.

Services are as follows:

A visitation for Lenys will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 from 6:00PM to 10:00PM at Caballero Rivero Westchester, 8200 Bird Road, Miami, FL 33155. The following day, a funeral mass will occur Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 11:00AM at St Timothy Catholic Church, 5400 SW 102 Ave, Miami, Florida 33165. Lastly, a committal service will occur Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 12:00PM at Miami Memorial Park, 6200 SW 77th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33143.