Julita L Solis

We are sad that our mother is no longer with us, but we celebrate her love and spirit among us. Julita Lugo de Solis was born in the little town of Sabana Grande in Puerto Rico. She was the youngest of three boys and four girls. The baby of seven children she came late to her family and followed her mother everywhere. She spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking with her mother. We were the beneficiaries of this education as our mother, mami to us, was an outstanding cook. Her love was evident in everything she served. She relished watching you savor and enjoy her cooking.

Julita met her husband of 60 years, Jose Solis, in New York city while attending the New York Polytechnic Institute for her secretarial degree. They married and had two daughters, Shirley and Lilith. Later they returned to the island of Puerto Rico and settled in Ponce, where their third child was born, Joseph Anthony (Joey).

In Puerto Rico she raised her family and worked as a switch board operator at the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. She could remember an impressive amount of telephone numbers. And she recited then with pride. Once there was a strike at the Telephone company and she and her children held signs to picket for the workers. This was to be her Norma Rae moment.

After 15 years living in Puerto Rico, the family moved to Winter Garden, Florida. She later worked as a teacher’s assistant for 11 years at Tildenville Elementary School. She taught English as a secondary language; helping many children new to the United States become fluent in English. She was a much loved member of the teaching staff. And many children benefited from her loving patient way of teaching.

She was quick with a joke and a smile. Always having a good story to tell and a good saying to go with it. Loved dancing, singing and reading biographies of people overcoming life challenges.

Julita was a devout catholic and was very active at Resurrection Catholic Church in Winter Garden. She lead the rosary prayer every Sunday for many years. Prayer was integral to her daily life. You could ask her to pray for you and she would pray a rosary. “Pray for a job for me mami”, “pray for my child to finish college mami”, “pray for me to find a good partner mami”. She prayed and her prayers were granted.Talk about having friends in high places.

Later in 2003, the family moved to Clermont, FL. She used to say the beautiful hills in Clermont reminded her of the mountains in Puerto Rico.

Mami had God’s ear. And now she is sharing on the bounty of her faith in heaven, still praying and loving us from above.