Posted on 02/12/2019
Raquel Hevia Sanchez
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, Raquel Hevia Sanchez (89) died peacefully at her home in Belle Glade, Florida on February 4, 2019.
She was the oldest daughter of a wealthy attorney, Gustavo Hevia Reyes Gavilan, and his wife Raquel Sanchez Hevia, of Havana, Cuba. Raque, as she was called, had two younger sisters that she adored, Alina and Isabel.
Raquel graduated from high school in Havana at 16 and attended the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, U.S.A. for a year before heading to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.
While home from college on break, she fell in love with a recent U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Bernabe Sanchez Macia. They were married in Havana, where she would finish college with a B.A. in Education and become an English teacher, a profession that she would continue for most of her life.
Raquel, Bernabe and their five young sons-Bernabe, Gustavo, Pedro, Pablo and Julio-fled Cuba in 1959 following Castro's communist takeover and the nationalizing of the families' properties. The family spent the next 10 years moving from Ft. Collins, Colorado, to Argentina, and to Colombia, before finally settling in Belle Glade, Florida. In each different place and each different house, Raquel always managed to make a loving home for her family and to make a place for herself in each community, finding lifelong friends-many of whom she kept in touch with until she died.
Raquel graduated as a valedictorian from high school and has always been an intellectual. Reading was a passion she shared with her children, her grandchildren and her friends. Although she lost her sight at the age of 40, that never stopped her from living her life to the fullest, from raising her family and taking care of every aspect of family life to continuing her lifelong love of reading. Many of the people who may be reading this today spent time reading books with Raquel over the years. Reading or discussing books with her was truly a blessing for all.
In Belle Glade, Raquel taught English and Spanish at St. Peter's Lutheran School and tutored privately. She was also an avid guitar player and often taught guitar lessons to both adults and children. A devout Catholic and Christian, she was a frequent churchgoer, attending many of the various area churches and prayer groups. Raquel also loved cooking and passing along her family recipes to the next generation.
Raquel Hevia Sanchez was preceded in death by her beloved husband of more than 62 years, Bernabe Sanchez Macia, her parents, and her younger sister, Alina Hevia Sanchez. She is survived by her adored baby sister Isabel Hevia Sanchez de Dardet of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and her sons: Bernabe (Raquel) of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Gustavo (Silvia) of Santa Marta, Colombia; Pedro (Ivette) and Pablo (Maria) of Clewiston, Florida; and Julio (Judy) of Belle Glade, Florida; and grandchildren: Gabriel (Cynthia), Laura (Federico), and Cecilia (Simon) of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Gustavo of Belle Glade, Florida; Santiago (Laura), and Arturo of Barranquilla, Colombia; Victoria of Santa Marta, Colombia; Bernabe (Veronica), and Pedro, Jr. (Rosangel) of Live, Oak, Florida; Pablo, Jr. (Alison), and Marco of Clewiston, Florida; Kristina (Gil) of Loxahatchee; Matt (Lois) of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Nick (Karmen) of Ft. Worth, Texas; and thirteen great-grandchildren (with two more on the way).
A Mass will be celebrated at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Belle Glade, Florida at 11 am on February 16, 2019. Arrangements by Glades Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The American Foundation for the Blind (Talking Books Program) or The American Printing House for the Blind.
Glades Funeral Chapel
1040 N Main St
Belle Glade, FL 33430
(561) 996-6122
Published in NewsZapFL on Feb. 13, 2019