Elina Rosa Casas

Elina was born June 12, 1927, in Victoria de las Tunas, Cuba. She was the youngest of 12 children born to Camilo and Virginia Avila. Although her father died when she was young, Elina enjoyed a happy childhood filled with adventure on the family’s farm. On May 10, 1945, Elina married the love of her life, Osmundo Juan Casas. They moved to Havana, Cuba, and had two children, Juan Fernando and Alina.

Elina worked as the Director of Hogares Infantiles, also known as La Crèche in Vedado, Havana, where she supervised the staff that cared for over 300 children.

In September 1962, she fled Cuba with her two children to join her husband, who had left Cuba shortly before to avoid persecution. The family initially moved to Louisiana, where their third child, Alejando, was born. In 1969, they relocated to West Palm Beach, where Elina spent the remainder of her life. Osmundo Juan died in 1990 and Elina never remarried, as she considered herself to still be married to the love of her life until her passing.

Elina had a tremendous work ethic and worked at ITT and later at Northern Telecom where she made many life-long friends. Over the past several years, she enjoyed spending time at the Mid-County Senior Center, making new friends and taking classes.

She was devoted to her Catholic faith and dedicated much of her time to Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church as a member of Damas Catolicas en Accion and as a regular volunteer at the weekly food pantry for many years. Elina loved to travel and visited Mexico several times with her husband. After his death, she continued to travel with church groups and visited the Holy Land, Portugal, Spain, France and South America. Elina loved her family, friends and her church and she will be greatly missed.

Elina is survived by her three children: Juan Fernando and wife, Gladys; Alina Casas Brizzard (husband Todd, deceased); Alejandro and wife, Susie; her grandchildren: Alina Maria Brizzard Margiotta and husband, Marcus; Monica Brizzard Marques and husband, Paul; Ana Maria Casas Miller and husband, Russell, Victoria Casas Daniel and husband, Joshua; Marisol Casas Draughon and husband, Joshua; Cristina Casas and Cecilia Casas; and her great-grandchildren: Nicolas Marques, Jacob Daniel, Abigail Daniel and Sophia Miller.

The family would like to thank Elina’s caregiver, Maria Eugenia Torres, for providing loving care to their mother during her final months. Additionally, the family is eternally grateful to Dr. Larissa Colon-Bengoa and the staff of VITAS for the kind and compassionate care they provided to Elina.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, September 5 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 5411 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, with a prayer service at 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 6, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 345 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Burial will follow at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery on Southern Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach. Following burial, please join Elina’s family for a reception at the home of Alina Maria Margiotta.