Manuel Cabanas

Manuel Andres Cabanas died peacefully on September 11, 2022 surrounded by his family at Baptist Hospital following extended cardiovascular illness.

Born in Havana, Cuba to Pura and Manuel Cabanas on November 30, 1932 and was the oldest of two sons. Manuel attended the Escuelas Pías de la Habana in his youth and graduated with an accounting degree from the Universidad de Villanueva in Havana. He completed his advanced studies in business administration and accounting at the Universidad Social Católico San Juan Bautista, also in Havana.

At 24 years of age, in November of 1957 he married his “Tesoro”, the love of his life, Lenys Felisa Cabanas y González,20, in the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad in Havana, Cuba.

In 1958, Manuel was the winner of the newly televised game show Viajes en Varadero. With the prize money, the new couple purchased their home in Havana and eagerly began to build their lives and grow their sweet family. In 1959 a beautiful baby girl, Lenys del Carmen was born to the young couple quickly followed by a precious baby boy, Manuel in 1961.

Like all Cubans, the Communist revolution drastically changed the lives of the couple and in 1966 they left Cuba, initially for Spain and ultimately settling in New York, New York close to Manuel’s brother Jose and his wife Maria del Carmen. In the early days of their life in the United States, Manuel worked five jobs, two full time and three part-time, taking all opportunities to work he encountered. He utilized his accounting degree in a bank while also putting his signature work ethic to use alternating between roles as a meat cutter in a butcher shop, a bartender for parties among other jobs. Manuel and Lenys joyously welcomed their third child, Michael, in New York in 1971.

To be closer to extended family, Manuel and Lenys moved to Miami in 1974. Once in established Miami, Manuel worked in financial positions in smaller businesses then he began a position at Ocean Bank where he worked for almost three decades in the Loan Review Department.

Manuel, ever the precise accountant, was guided by his Catholic faith and a strong sense of right and wrong. Without a doubt, his love for his family was a guiding principle in life, if demonstrated quite firmly on occasion! Manuel is preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Lenys Cabanas Zavala and his brother Jose. He leaves behind his loving family: wife, Lenys Felisa, sons, Manuel (Mark Deutsch), Michael (Katie Cabanas), son-in-law Freddy Zavala and grandchildren Alessandra Lenys Zavala, Michelle Samantha Zavala Riviere (Camilo Riviere), Danielle Carolina Zavala Diaz (Alex Diaz), Melissa Marie Cabanas, Michael Alexander Cabanas, Max McCullough Cabanas and Matias Andres Cabanas.

Calling hours are Friday September 16th at Caballero Rivero-Sunset, 7355 SW 117 Avenue, 7:00-10:00 pm and burial on Saturday, September 17th at 10:00 am at Memorial Plan Cemetery 6200 SW 77th Avenue, Miami, FL 33143.