Silvia "Silvita” Fernandez Freyre

Silvia “Silvita” Fernandez Freyre, died peacefully at her sister’s home in Boston on December 31st, surrounded by her family. She was 81 years old. Silvita was born in Havana, Cuba, on August 1, 1941. She was the daughter of Dr. Carlos Augusto Fernandez and Silvia Freyre de Andrade, each pioneers in their own right, both deeply committed to family and country. Silvita treasured her childhood in Havana, often recalling every detail of the joyful celebrations and social activities with lots of family and friends, which she always remembered fondly – at the Vedado Tennis Club, the Havana Yacht Club, Teen-Age Carnival dances at the Country Club and her days at Merici Academy and Villanova University. As a teenager, she had the honor of being crowned “Reina de las Madrinas” for raising the most money for Havana’s Children’s Hospital. She loved to recount the story of traveling to Europe on a well-chaperoned excursion with fifteen fellow 16-year-old Cuban debutantes on the same steamship as then Senator John F Kennedy. Her teenage years reflected the revolutionary times: she went out both with President Batista’s son, surrounded by armed bodyguards, and later with one of Fidel Castro’s militiamen, who had fought with him in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Her life changed dramatically in 1960, when at age 19 her family fled Cuba for the

United States. Instead of continuing her college education, she went to work at Gus

Mayer’s custom jewelry department in New Orleans to help support her family, and there

she launched her fashion career. When the family moved to New York, she walked off

the street with her cousin Raimundo de Castro and applied for a job at B. Altman & Co.,a leading 5th Avenue department store, as a clerk to one of their buyers. She

demonstrated such a strong sense of fashion and executive skill that she was invited to

join their exclusive buyer’s training program, becoming the first person to do so without

a college degree. From there, her career as a leading fashion executive skyrocketed, and

she traveled the world defining the looks for B. Altman, launched handbag lines for

emerging brands like Unisa and Pappagallo, and broke new ground for women in her

field. At the end of her career, she returned to retail, where, until the COVID pandemic,

she worked at Bloomingdales in its designer handbag department. Her experience,

humor, and flawless sense for the next trend in fashion made her invaluable to colleagues

and customers alike.

Silvita was the quintessential New Yorker. She kept the doors to her Upper East Side

apartment, where she lived for over 40 years, open to family and friends for a dinner of

arroz con pollo with vodka and a couch to sleep on. Many careers and new companies

were launched from her home.

The many who love her will remember her best for her courage under fire during the past

decade of health challenges. She never complained. Instead, she remained hopeful for

more days of strength and laughter and more celebrations to which she could don her

exquisite collection of party dresses.

Silvita lived her last year with her sister Micho in Boston, defying all odds, regularly

dining out with her beloved cousin Juan Prieto, who lived across the street. Her courage,

grace, optimism, and energy inspired her family, her many friends who came to visit, her

caretakers, her exceptional medical team at Dana Farber and Brigham & Women’s

Hospital, and all who came in contact with her. She memorably told her hairdresser

before her niece’s wedding that she had learned that “You do not have to die if you don’t

want to.” That mantra sustained her long past what doctors thought possible.

Her will and determination to live and to enjoy life will be long remembered.

Silvita is survived by her sister Micho Fernandez Spring, her niece and namesake Silvia

Freyre Spring and husband Maxwell Hamilton, her nephew and godson William Carlos

Spring and wife Natalie, six great-nieces and nephews, her extended Freyre family, and

her exceptional network of friends, who meant the world to her, especially this past year.

She was predeceased by her brother, Carlos Eugenio Fernandez.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please send donations in Silvita’s honor to Friends

of Caritas Cubana, where Silvita was a Founding Member of the Board and of their New

York Committee.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. Jean Baptiste, 184 East 76th Street in New York

on January 28th at 1:30PM, followed by a reception. All are welcome.