Clara M Vila

Clara Vila, a resident of Hialeah, Florida, died today at her daughter's home in Lehigh Acres, Florida, with family by her side. As per her request, there will be no service held. She was born on September 27th, 1942, in Baire, Santiago de Cuba. It was a time ripe with hardships and turmoil the world over. And her life and that of her family was no different. From very early on, Clara exhibited a sense of dominance and strength that carried forth until the very end of her days. She was always a force to be reckoned with, a human tsunami of sorts. Despite, or perhaps as a result of her sense of dominance and her incredibly strong will, she married at a young age and had a daughter, who bore the same name. Life in Cuba after the Second World War was little changed. It was still full of hardships for the ordinary citizens of the country, but they made do with what little they may have had. It wasn't until communism started to rear its ugly head throughout the country that She began to dream of a better life for both her and her daughter. Being the stubborn born that she was, she left Cuba in search of a better life in a foreign land. On January 7th, 1970, they moved to the United States and began a new chapter in their lives. Sometime later, she divorced and eventually met and married her next husband with whom she would have a son. Despite everything she tried to do for her family, the hardships in her life continued. A few years later, she divorced once more and began living an even more difficult life than the one she had back in her native country. There were times where she would starve herself so that her children had enough food on their plates. She was no angel, however. Her stubborn nature often left her at odds with those around her, even from members of her own family. Eventually, she lucked out and found a new job that enabled her to provide for her family the way she was never able to before. Her work at the Wakefern Food Corporation continued until her retirement in 2004 at the tender age of 62, but not before her family endured a new sense of prosperity. She was able to afford a home in Lawrence Harbor, a new car, in short, all the luxuries she had always dreamt of for her family. Being the somewhat adventurous soul that she was, the time came to start a new chapter in her life, yet again. She sold her home for a more than decent profit and moved to Miami Beach. South Beach, to be exact. There she tried in many ways to change her self-being, going so far as to volunteer at the senior home where she lived. As luck would have it, she came into contact with a nice elderly gentleman with whom she fell in love and later married. In time, she would come to realize that Pedro Escobedo Santos was the love of her life. They did everything together, including taking trips to see her children in New Jersey and travel the world. The world, according to them both, consisted of the United States and Cuba. Cuba was where she came to meet Julio Manuel Barcaz Gomez, a nephew of Pedro. He was someone who was like an extended grandchild for her. He was also someone who had been extremely instrumental in helping her for the sake of her children. Despite Clara's dominance, which persisted even then, they were very happy together until her husband's death just a short time after. Thus, the happiest days of her life, though short-lived, were the most memorable until Alzheimer's took hold of her years later. As is the case with, sadly, a great many people, the disease had all but destroyed her mind. Being the fiercely independent woman that she was, Clara never revealed the true nature of her illness or its progression to anyone, even her children. The last year of her life saw an incredibly rapid decline in her ability to do even the most mundane of functions. This once powerful, all-too-human force of nature that once dominated all in the room was nothing more than a mere shell of her former self. Her life ended in the early morning hours of October 26th of the year 2020. Clara is survived by her daughter, son, her three grandchildren, and two brothers, as well as their extended families.

Clara M Vila

September 27, 1942 - October 26, 2020