Elsa Felicia Sanchez passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, February 21, on her 93rd birthday at St. Catherine’s West Catholic Hospice in Hialeah Gardens, FL. She was born on February 21, 1933 in Havana, Cuba to Ermelinda Fernandez Garcia and Tomas Gomez Herrero where she grew up, attended a secretarial vocation school and worked at the Havana Golf Club. She immigrated to the U.S. with her husband and young son in 1961 and has been in the U.S. for the remainder of her life. Her last occupation was an executive secretary at Bank of America in Miami. After her retirement, she ran the office for the family’s auto body shop business. Elsa is remembered by her family and friends as a fiercely independent and capable woman who was the consummate caretaker of everyone, always putting others ahead of herself. She loved to socialize with her family and many friends and did so up to the very end. Everyone loved Elsa.
Elsa was preceded in death by her husband, Jose Adalio Sanchez Caso; her son, Alan F.; and her sister, Yolanda Valdes Flores. She is survived by her children, Adalio T. Sanchez (Lisa) of Naples, Florida and Elsie (Matthew) McKenna of Sewell, New Jersey; grandchildren, Alan K. Sanchez, Angelé Sanchez, Nicolas Sanchez, Daniel McKenna and Gillian McKenna; great grandchildren, Alan, Anthony, Avery, Allison and Alanna Sanchez.
Per Elsa’s wishes, there will be no services. A memorial mass and burial of her ashes will be held in Miami at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her name to St. Catherine’s West Catholic Hospice. Online donations: www.catholichealthservices.org/donate/ , please select Catholic Hospice, Inc. from the dropdown menu. Check donations: Catholic Hospice Inc., Attn: Ivonne Sanchez, 14875 NW 77th Avenue, Suite 100, Miami Lakes, FL 33014.
