Winter Park — Armando Joaquin Soto passed away early Monday morning, May 15, surrounded by his family at his Winter Park home after complications from heart failure. He is survived by his loving wife, Hilda Soto; two daughters, Aixa (Ruben) Trevino and Iris (Thomas) Vagnini; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces, cousins, and a nephew. Born December 11, 1928, in Havana, Cuba, Soto was raised with two older siblings and became passionate about playing baseball. As a teenager, he became enamored with a young lady, Hilda Camiña, who cleaned and cooked at his aunt’s home. In 1949, the two were wed in Key West, Florida, where they raised their daughters and began a 68-year marriage throughout which the two remained inseparable. Soto proudly held several jobs during his nearly 30 years in Key West, including work for Overseas Transportation, laying terrazzo floors throughout the Florida Keys, and, perhaps most memorably for locals, opening and running the popular Truman Sandwich Shop in Key West, where he, his wife, and other relatives prepared Cuban mixes (sandwiches), papa rellenas, and other Cuban cuisine. Despite his busy schedule, Soto found time to build several homes in Key West over the years (including his family’s first home in the 1960s on Patterson Avenue). With a passion for politics and serving his community, Soto held leadership roles in several local organizations, including the Felix Varela Masonic Lodge No. 64 (where he was named Master Mason in 1965 and Worshipful Master in 1971), the Martí Lodge, and the San Carlos Institute (where he served as president of the board in the late 1950s.) In 1982, Soto and Hilda relocated to Winter Park, Florida, where he worked at Lake Howell High School for ten years and was remembered by teachers and students as a conscientious worker. He enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling, watching baseball, and dancing with and singing to his wife. Soto is loved and fondly remembered as a proud, strong-willed, and kind gentleman who demonstrated deep affection for his wife and family, teaching them the value of working hard to be successful. He is preceded in death by his father, Armando Soto, mother, Clara Quintero, sister, Josephine Anderson, and brother, Geraldo Soto. The family would like to send their sincerest thanks to his doctors Dr. Arsenio Rodriguez and especially Dr. Sergio Menendez-Aponte, who went above and beyond in their many years of service to him. They also send their appreciation to the cardiac care and respiratory teams at Florida Hospital, as well as the nurses at VITAS Hospice Care. A visitation will be held Saturday, May 20, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. at the Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home – Goldenrod Chapel (7520 Aloma Avenue, Winter Park, FL, 32792), with a memorial service to follow at 2:00 p.m. The burial will take place at 4:00 p.m. at Glen Haven Memorial Park (2300 Temple Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789). In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/) and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (www.curealz.org).
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