Olga Diz-Pi Lapeyra, MD

July 19, 1936 – July 23, 2026

Dr. Olga Diz-Pi Lapeyra passed away at the age of 90 on July 23, 2026, in Hollywood, FL. Olga was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on July 19, 1936, the only daughter of Clotilde Pi and Camilo Diz. She was a beloved daughter, mother, wife, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Olga grew up in Camagüey and Havana, Cuba. She attended medical school in Havana, where she met the love of her life, Joseph Lapeyra, in 1954. They married in 1958 and were together for 72 years, raising three children, Joe, Adriana, and Olga. In 1960, Olga and Joseph left Cuba due to the Castro dictatorship and settled in New York; she was never able to return to her homeland.

In New York, Olga worked for Metropolitan Hospital before going to Spain, where she obtained her medical degree at the University of Salamanca. Upon her return to New York, she completed an internship, a General Psychiatry Residency at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, and a Child and Adolescent Residency at Flower & Fifth Medical School in Manhattan. She went on to complete psychoanalytic training under Dr. Lewis Wolberg at New York Medical Center, served as Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Harlem Hospital, and later organized and started a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic for Spanish-speaking patients at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where she was also an Associate Professor of Psychiatry.

In the 1980's, Olga moved to Florida with her family, where she continued her accomplished career. She was Director of the Adolescent Unit at Fort Lauderdale Psychiatric Hospital, as well as Chief of Staff, President of the Broward County Psychiatric Association, Senior Psychiatrist at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, and Director of Psychiatry for female patients in the Broward County jail system, all while maintaining a private practice. During these years her family also grew, welcoming five grandchildren, John, Jennifer, Justin, Anthony, and Tristen, the youngest whom she helped raise, and later three great-grandchildren, Eliana, Isabella, who brought her so much joy whenever she saw them, and most recently welcomed Leland.

As a child, Olga was a performer, singing and dancing with the stars of that time in Camagüey. She loved reading biographies, watching movies, listening to classical and contemporary music, and playing Scrabble. She was also the videographer of the family, always recording and capturing family movies, and later enjoyed photo and video editing as well. But her greatest passion was painting: she spent many years painting portraits for friends and family, and by the early 1990's had included more abstract pieces, many of which won prizes and recognition in local exhibitions. Olga also loved to travel; she and Joseph were well-travelled throughout their marriage. She was devoted to her family, she and Joseph hosted holiday gatherings at their home well into her later years.

Family and friends are invited to attend:

Viewing: Friday, July 31, 2026, 5:00 pm – midnight, Caballero Rivero Westchester, 8200 Bird Rd, Miami, FL 33155

Burial: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 2:30 pm, Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North, 3260 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135