My mom, Alicia Obejas, was a Cuban exile who worked as a teacher in MC schools, ~1965-1988. She passed away on January 6th. Apologies to those who are seeing a duplicate of this, there are plenty of people who knew my mom who are not my FB friends. Whenever I visited my mom in MC and we went out, former students would recognize and greet her everywhere. This is an obituary my sister and I wrote for her: Alicia Fleites Obejas nee Alicia Zozima Fleites died peacefully surrounded by lifelong friends and family in Miami on January 6, 2015, in Miami, Fla., at the age of 84. Alicia is survived by her sister, Yolanda Morlote, of Miami, Fla; son Mario Obejas and daughter-in-law Ofra Obejas of Torrance, Calif.; daughter and daughter-in-law Megan Bayles of Oakland, Calif.; grandchildren Ammi and Daniel Obejas, Ilan Bayles Obejas, and nephews Mario Francisco and Manuel Morlote, both of Miami, Fla. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 49 years, Jose “Pepe” Obejas, in 2002. Alicia was born July 15, 1930 in Sagua La Grande, Las Villas, Cuba, to Juan Francisco Fleites and Mercedes Milera. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school and went on to the University of Havana, where she obtained a doctorate degree in pedagogy. She married Pepe, a lawyer, on March 7, 1953. A defining moment in Alicia’s life occurred when Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban Government in 1959. The family applied for emigration but due to the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile crisis, the island was sealed. On February 10, 1963, the family left in a well-planned escape from Cuba with a group totaling 44 people in a stolen 28 foot boat named the Juan Menendez. On the high seas, the boat suffered mechanical problems. Fortunately, they were in shipping channels, and were picked up by an oil tanker piloted by Bjarne Moltu, himself an escapee from Nazi Germany. The group of 44 was the second largest group to escape from Cuba at the time. The family set foot on US soil in south Florida on February 12, 1963. Alicia and Pepe began US life working for a tomato processor. A year later, they availed themselves of an opportunity to move to the Midwest and attain American university degrees and teaching credentials, and the next year she was employed as a Spanish teacher in Indiana public schools. Pepe followed a year later, working in a nearby town. Alicia worked for Michigan City Area Schools until 1988. She earned Teacher of the Year honors several times and was active in the teacher’s union. Alicia believed strongly in education, believing it to be a critical pillar of democracy. Former students would become lifelong friends. After retiring, Alicia and Pepe moved to Miami in 1992 – just three weeks before Hurricane Andrew hit they area. Amazingly, their small house suffered no damage. In the ensuing years, Alicia and Pepe pursued their love of travel, family, and the fellow Cuban exile community in south Florida. Alicia was passionate about her convictions and despised gossip. She had a biting humor, was an avid reader, a follower of Spanish language telenovelas, and a movie fan. She loved Cuban cuisine, and was an excellent baker – Cuban Thanksgiving always included her pecan pies, and her black beans had the magic amount of brown sugar. Alicia also had a sweet tooth, which usually manifested in several quarts of ice cream in the freezer at any given time. But her greatest passion was family -- she loved her children, grandchildren, nephews, and extended family, reveling in their accomplishments and stories. She was also a devoted daughter, constantly spending time with her late mother, Mercedes. A mass is scheduled for 8:30 in Miami, at St. Timothy’s, 56th St and 102nd Ave., on January 10. Burial will follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Alicia’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to St. Jude Hospital at stjude.org/donatenow .
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:37:30 +0000
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