Dra. Julia Margarita Allende de Diaz - ‘Margarita’ - left us on November 30, 2020 after 93 years of joyful living. She was a true survivor and overcame many challenges in her life but always with a positive viewpoint that she would win in the end.
Born and raised in Cienfuegos near the ocean, she moved to Matanzas to become a teacher. It was there she became the inspirational educator that rode horseback to teach in the rural countryside. This dedication drove her to complete her Doctorate in Pedagogy at the University of Havana in 1950.
She married Mario Diaz-Trujillo, an electrical engineer and they traveled extensively, welcoming three daughters. After the Castro takeover, they escaped to Miami just before the Cuban Missile crisis. The family established themselves in Mountain View, California then returned to Miami.
Her mantra was ‘Dictators can take my home and my money, but they can’t take my knowledge’. Julia Margarita went on to renew her degree through the Cuban Teacher Retraining Program at the University of Miami, obtaining two master’s degrees and dedicating herself to Early Childhood Education. Her mission was to ensure students learned to read, write and speak both English and Spanish fluently.
While pursuing this career in education, she enjoyed her time by traveling with husband Mario, visiting her daughter Gladys Margarita New York at Cornell University, and twin daughters Ileana and Maira at the University of Florida.
Yet over 35 years she enjoyed the mayhem of a room full of energetic five-year old students. Upon retirement, her delight was the arrival of her granddaughters Julianne and Mary.
Margarita always made certain everyone felt welcome in her home together with her partners in crime, sisters-in-law Juana Gladys Diaz and Zeida Montero. She also pampered her sons-in-law, Angel Espinosa, Alfredo Paz and Ray Jourdain.
She loved fiercely and supported all children and extended family in their endeavors.
Her eldest granddaughter, Julianne, was diagnosed with the rare disease Rett Syndrome, and it became Margarita’s life work to ensure she lives a great life.
Julia Margarita will be missed by many whose lives she touched, especially those she set on the path of life by teaching them to read and write.
In lieu of flowers she would prefer that you make a donation to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation to help find a cure for her granddaughter Julianne by clicking on the link below:
DONATIONS LINK:
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Maira D. PazDaughter
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