Onelio "Tony" Ebra

Onelio (Tony) was born in La Habana, Cuba, to Juana Regina Lima Cardona, a piano teacher, and Onelio Ebra Pérez, a physician. He had an older sister, Miriam Ebra Lima.

He grew up with the love of his parents, his sister, and his two widowed grandmothers. He loved music, math, science, and poetry. As a teen he took up bodybuilding, a routine he maintained until the last few years.

He began his chemical engineering studies at La Universidad de La Habana. After leaving Cuba for political considerations, he came to the United States. He continued his chemical engineering studies at La Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez. While there he met his wife-to-be, Martha Alvarez Ebra.

He and Martha were married when he graduated and have remained together until his passing. They had a daughter, Lourdes Ebra Grill, (Lou).

He reunited with his parents and with Miriam and her son William Piedra Ebra in Puerto Rico. This took years as leaving Cuba became increasingly difficult for them. William now has two sons, Fernando and Alejandro Piedra Mercado. They live in Puerto Rico.

Tony and Martha went to graduate school at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. There, he obtained his Doctorate in Chemical Engineering. Work led them across the South: Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and New Mexico.

While in Texas, he proudly became an American citizen. Lou married Michael John Grill (Mike) and they have have two daughters, Emilia Teresa Grill (Emi), and Lilianna Maria Grill (Lily). Tony adored “his girls” and loved Mike for being a kind and loving husband and father.

Retirement took them close to the ocean that he so loved, to Isle of Palms, SC. From there a natural move brought him and Martha close to “the girls” in Atlanta, GA.

He was a life-long learner, who loved languages, and was proficient in Spanish, English, and German. Upon retirement, he and Martha took up French. As a result, he and Martha acquired German and French friends. This led to travels in France and Germany. Further travels in Europe, including ancestral Portugal and Spain, and across the United States and Canada became a retirement pleasure for them.

He lived well and loved, and leaves behind extraordinary memories for his family and friends. He was a fighter, a learner, and a loving, protective man.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers to honor Onelio, you may wish to donate to The Atlanta Community Food Bank https://www.acfb.org/about-us/