Name: Caballero Rivero - Little Havana
Address: Miami, FL

I have already spoken to her daughter but I do want to say
that I will never forget Maria, my neighbour and friend for many years.  Maria was a lady, indeed.  Well mannered, elegant,
soft spoken.  May she rest in peace.
Eddie

I have so many great memories with my great aunt. She impacted my life in such a special way. I have great memories of going to her house and sharing Coca Cola with her while we talked about what I learned in school. She would bring me to her job before she retired and I would love to grade papers with her. She would show me all the magnets on her fridge and tell me all about her travels. She instilled in me such a respect for education and helped me throughout my schooling. She meant the world to me and I love her dearly. I hope she she is drinking an ice cold Coca Cola in the sky. Te quiero tía! 

De tu favorita, 

Esther

Maria Plasencia (Tita to family and longtime friends) was laid to rest on March 20, 2023, after a long and well lived life.  Maria was 97.  She was respected and beloved by her extended family members, including cousins, nieces, and nephews; long-life friends; and coworkers who also became friends.
She grew up in the province of Pinar del Rio, Cuba.  Her father owned properties in and around the town of Artemisa.  Tita, as her family and friends called her, was a dedicated student.  She was certain from early school days that she would become a teacher.  With that end, she studied at the Universidad de Pinar del Rio and the Universidad de La Habana, earning her doctorate degree in pedagogy.
She rose to become a school inspector traveling to many schools around the province to make certain that the students received the highest quality education.  Not only did the teachers of the schools she visited remember her, but also students in whose classrooms she observed.
She eventually married and had one daughter.
With Fulgencio Batista deposed in 1959, Maria and her immediate family emigrated to the United States under political asylum status.  They settled in Tampa, FL, and without the ability to speak English, were forced to work at whatever jobs they could find. From cleaning homes during the day to cleaning businesses at night and other low paying jobs. 
When the State of Georgia accepted her doctoral education, and additional Master Degree Spanish Literature from Florida State University, she was able to return to the work she excelled.  After many years of teaching in high schools in Thomasville, and Quitman, Ga. she and her husband moved to Miami, FL, where she continued her vocation as a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School.
Her students remember her as strict but approachable.  It was not uncommon for students to take their lunch hour with Dr. Plasencia in her classroom.  Her fellow teachers remember her as a consummate educator who was also extremely fun 


Dr. Maria Plasencia (Tita), age 97, joined her husband, siblings, and many friends in eternal life on Saturday, March 11, 2023, after a short illness.  Dr. Plasencia was much beloved by her nieces, nephews, extended family, friends, and her many students.  
Dr. Plasencia retired from her teaching duties at age 70 after having taught in her homeland of Cuba, and in Georgia and Florida in the U.S.  On her retirement the Miami-Dade School System honored her dedication to teaching by recognizing a total of 50 years of teaching experience.
Her family, friends, and students, many of whom still think of her to this day, remember her as always impeccably and elegantly dressed, and as enjoying herself with whomever was around her.  Her reputation as described by her family and friends is that, “Tita is and will ever be a grand and gracious lady.” 

My Tia will now be united with her husband,  parents and siblings.  May she rest in peace.  Lillie and I send our condolences and wish we could be there in person,  but we'll be there in spirit. 

To Maria's (Tita) family and friends, in lieu of flowers please send a donation in Maria's name to VITAS, Broward County or American Cancer Society - Pancreatic Cancer research.

OBITUARY

Dra. Maria Plasencia

May 5, 1925 – March 11, 2023

Caballero Rivero Little Havana

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