Manuel Garcia

Manuel Inocente Garcia Autie was born in the small community known as El Guajen, located in Las Villas, Cuba, to Bibiano Garcia and Clara Luz Autie on December 28, 1935. At the age of 18, he left his parent’s tobacco farm and headed west to the island’s capital, La Habana, known at the time as the “Paris of the Americas” in search of a new world. After serving honorably in the Constitutional Navy of Cuba, he set out to be an entrepreneur as he opened his own poultry store or “polleria” named “La Caridad de Garcia y Autie” in the Havana neighborhood of Santos Suarez. On January 7, 1962, he married the love of his life, Nieves Lucia Prieto, and three years later, they had their daughter, Rosa Clara Garcia. Unfortunately, in short order the Communist Regime nationalized his business, and along with so many other atrocities that took place on the island, this forced Manuel to abandon his beloved homeland. Before he could leave, the regime imposed an unjust sentence of three years’ service at an agricultural camp for the sole reason of wanting to leave Cuba to find a better life for his family. Undeterred, Manuel made it to Madrid, Spain and shortly thereafter to the “Land of the Free,” where in 1977 he had his son, Manuel Garcia. The family thrived in the United States, first in Union City, New Jersey, then in Tampa, FL, and finally in Miami, where Manuel continued to be a successful entrepreneur, a Little League baseball coach, a loving husband, an amazing father, a dedicated grandfather, and of course, an avid Yankees fan! Through his unconditional love of family, good moral compass, noble values, unwavering dependability, and his enduring wit and charm, Manuel lived a wonderful, fulfilling, and blessed life.

Manuel is preceded in death by his parents, Bibiano and Clara Luz, as well as his siblings Timoteo, Secundino, Angel, Andres, Melchor, Cirilo, Basilia, and Aurelia.

Manuel is survived by his wife Nieves, children Rosie (Luis) Gutierrez and Manny (Liana), his sister Juana Jimenez, his grandchildren Bianca, Alexandra, and Luis Gutierrez, II, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be held at 12:00pm on Wednesday, August 28th at St. Joseph Catholic Church located in West Tampa at 3012 W. Cherry Street, Tampa, Florida 33607. Burial will follow at Garden of Memories Cemetery, located at 4207 E. Lake Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33610. Arrangements are by Blount & Curry Funeral Home at Garden of Memories.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Friends of St. Joseph West Tampa, Inc., 1320 E. 9th Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605, (813) 247-4731, which is the charitable organization that assists St. Joseph Catholic Church and School.

The family of Manuel wishes to extend our sincere gratitude to Janet Vega, Yeilin Negret, and Marialys Nino, his loving caregivers who watched over him as their own, and to his hospice nurse, Ricardo Ivonet, for his unwavering medical care and encouragement.