Dr. Jose Landa

January 28, 1937 – September 25, 2018

We celebrate the incredibly rich life of our dearest Jose Francisco Landa Gutierrez.

Jose was born in Havana, Cuba on January 28th, 1937. His life started with a celebration, as he was the first baby born on Jose

Marti Day, and his humble family was awarded a full “canastilla” of baby gifts. His father, Francisco Landa, was a sheepherder

and soccer enthusiast born in the beautiful town of Carmona in northern Spain. At the tender age of 15, Francisco bravely

boarded a ship that was headed to Cuba, looking for a better life. Jose’s mother, Amalia Gutierrez, grew up in a similar town in

northern Spain called Los Corrales de Buelna. Francisco and Amalia married and moved to Buena Vista, Cuba, where Francisco

worked tirelessly as a waiter at “El Carmelo” restaurant. Jose and his brother Manuel were fortunate enough to have been given

scholarships at the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Havana. Both were hardworking and passionate students. Jose loved

studying mathematics, English, and history and later became an English and mathematics teacher at Belen. He was a devout

Catholic and would later join the Agrupacion Catolica Universitaria.

When the Castro regime began to grab hold of Havana, Jose enthusiastically joined the Cuban “Brigada” and underwent

training in Coconut Grove, Florida for the valiant U.S based mission at the Bay of Pigs. Unfortunately, his ship was bombed

and captured. Jose bravely fought and assisted his fellow brigadeers to safety, though hundreds did not survive in the dangerous

Cuban waters. He and his fellow brigadeers were captured and imprisoned for many months, but thankfully survived the dismal

conditions of Cuba’s jails. On December 22, 1962, prayers were answered when James Donovan mediated the release of 1,163

Cuban exiles who had been held captive since the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. Jose and his fellow compatriots arrived in

South Florida and were barely recognizable due to their thin and emaciated conditions, but they were filled with excitement and

were greeted with love and support from their fellow Cuban exiles and families in Miami.

Jose started working as an orderly at Saint Francis Hospital in Miami Beach, Florida. He soon met his future wife, Maria Teresa

Rodriguez, who had started working at the hospital as a phlebotomist. She too had left everything behind in Cuba, with similar

roots in Asturias, Spain. Maria and Jose were soon married, and with their savings moved to Madrid, Spain where Jose studied

Medicine at the Universidad de Madrid. After completing his medical education, Jose returned to Miami Beach to complete his

residency training at Mount Sinai Medical Center. After residency he completed fellowship training at Sinai, and soon after

joined the faculty as a teaching physician. Dr. Landa became an outstanding pulmonologist, heading one of the strongest

divisions at Sinai, and completing specialized training at Temple University to become the first South Florida pulmonologist

trained in the art of bronchoscopy. Dr. Landa was passionate about research and teaching, and trained many of Miami’s most

respected pulmonologists. Amazingly, during his limited free time he loved engaging in hobbies such as mechanics and

gardening, proudly growing mango, lime and avocado trees, and fixing any appliance or gadget that ever needed to be fixed at

home. He loved reading, and his favorites were Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and The Holy Bible. He loved war movies, and

especially enjoyed the WWII action film, Where Eagles Dare. Jose loved listening to music, and was a great fan of Andy

Williams and Edie Gorme. He never forgot his Cuban heritage, and enjoyed singing Cuban songs with family and friends.

After years of working in academics, Dr. Landa ventured into private practice. For the remainder of his life he worked tirelessly

to care for patients and was devoted to the practice of clinical medicine. He was committed to critical care and saving lives, and

worked tirelessly days and nights to assure his patients had the best care possible. He viewed his patients as family, and his

patients loved him. Similarly, he cared for all of his coworkers, his fellow physicians, nurses and therapists, and individuals

who maintained the hospital- all were dear to him and part of his extended family. He dearly loved his wife until his very last

breath, and had special eyes and tears of love for her. Doctors worked tirelessly to save his fragile life, but in the end, it was his

time to rest. He was a wonderful husband, father, and loving grandfather. He leaves behind his lovely and devoted wife Maria

Teresa, his five children, ten beautiful grandchildren who are especially proud of him and will love him forever, and his devoted

brother Manuel Antonio, aerospace engineer, avid volleyball player, fellow participant in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and fellow

proud “Man for Others” trained in the Jesuit spirit.

We will never forget our passionate, loving, and devoted Dr. Jose Francisco

Landa, an incredible human being and man of God.