Orlando Sosa

Orlando was born in Mariel, Cuba on January 13, 1938. He emigrated from Cuba to the United States with his family in 1965 in search of freedom. He worked most of his life in the construction industry since arriving in Naples. He founded ONOA Painting with his lifelong friends. Together, they painted all the houses at Poinciana Village, as well as, several homes, commercial buildings, and multi-family residential buildings throughout Naples. Orlando partnered with his father-in-law as owner/operators of Naples Carpet Cleaning for several years, polishing terrazzo floors and steam cleaning carpets. He later worked for 10 years at the Glades Country Club installing bathroom and floor tiles in the condominium units. Afterwards, he established Sosa Construction, Inc., which operated for 25 years and built over a dozen beautiful single family homes. Sosa Construction was also the major drywall and plaster sub-contractor for more than six beachfront luxury high-rise condominiums in Pelican Bay, several luxury homes throughout Naples and the Naples Philharmonic.

Through his life's work, Orlando and his wife provided beautiful, affordable housing for several grateful families in Golden Gate to purchase and as rentals. Sosa Construction provided steady and continous employment for hundreds of families in Naples. Not only were his workers able to maintain their families here in the US, but they were also able to send money back home to their relatives in Latin America.

Orlando truly believed education was the key to success and financial independence, especially for women. He helped his wife renew her educational teaching degree in Miami by chauffering her from Naples to Miami for two years. While his wife attended class, Orlando renovated his brother's home and watched the undefeated Dolphins practice at the college's football field. He later put both his daughters through college and also helped with his grandchildren's college tuition. Thanks to his dedication to his family's educational endeavors, they are now all college graduates.

Orlando really enjoyed life and loved entertaining. He and his wife bought the house previously used as the Naples YMCA to hold huge parties and cookouts every weekend for his family and friends. He and his beloved wife also loved to travel, and they saw the world by vacationing in Europe, Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, New York City, Las Vegas, Alaska, Seattle and Niagara Falls. The family went to Disney World the first year it opened and every summer afterwards. He loved taking cruises every summer and started taking them with his family in the early 1970's thru late 2013. He has visited practically every Caribbean island and several Bahama islands. In 2001, he and his wife took the family on a pilgrimage to Cuba. They visited their hometown of Mariel to visit the gravesites of his beloved infant son and both parents, who he never saw again since his departure from Cuba. Orlando and his wife were able to introduce their daughters to their relatives and friends. They all had a chance to visit their childhood homes, schools, church, places of employment, parks, and local hangouts together as a family. They were generous with everyone they came in contact with, especially with their family and loved ones.

Orlando and his wife loved the sea and would vacation at Miami Beach for several months a year after they retired. He would wake up early in the morning to see the sunrise and they would go swimming every afternoon in the ocean. This gave him comfort and reminded him of his wonderful childhood. He and his wife loved gambling and often stayed at the Hard Rock Casino resort for long weekends enjoying the comped rooms, food, concert tickets and of course, the slot machines! He was a great poker and domino player and loved playing every week with his cherished lifelong friends.

Orlando is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rosario; his daughters, Mercedes and Martha Sosa; two grandchildren, Mercedes E. and Richard D. Derkman; his sister Lysbia Sosa; sister-in-laws Caridad Gonzalez and Zaida Sosa; nieces and nephews, Augustin, Lysbia R. and Vilma Castañeda, Maria Teresa, Oscar and Orlando Sosa, Martha and Barbara Gonzalez, Rosa LaRue, and many family and friends. He was preceeded in death by his son Orlandito; his brother Oscar; his parents Pedro and Isolina; his in-laws Osvaldo and Rosario Ramirez; his nephew, Onil Gonzalez; his niece Marilys Gonzalez; his brother-in-laws Onil Gonzalez and Nenito Castañeda; and his beloved son-in-law Richard E. Derkman.

Orlando will be greatly missed for his kindness, extraordinary sense of humor, warmth, words of wisdom, intellect, love, integrity, generosity, fairness, hard work ethics and positive energetic attitude.

Funeral and burial services will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Hodges Funeral Home in Naples Memorial Gardens located at 525 111th Avenue North, Naples, FL 34108. Celebration of Life gathering is from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Funeral mass service is at 11:00 am, immediately followed by Entombment at the Cemetery at 11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, loved ones can make donations to Avow - 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, Florida 34105, in gratitude for their compassionate, in-home hospice care of Orlando during the last year of his life.