Obituary of Sergio Gustavo Reyes

Sergio Gustavo Reyes was born and raised in Cuba. He is survived by Rafaela Florat, his wife of 76 years; and four children Alice Garcia (Tony), Magally Garcia, Sergio J. Reyes (Tina), Matilde Miller (Dwight); 13 Grandchildren and 21 Great Grandchildren. Our dad was an example of a loving husband and father. He always displayed love and affection to our mother and he was an excellent dad encouraging, providing, and holding us high. We duplicated what we learned from dad and mom in our own marriages and families. Our dad was intelligent, witty, and talented. As a young man he sang with a band on the radio, ran a family restaurant with our mother, and later when he moved our family to Caracas, Venezuela, ran a successful business manufacturing plastic picture frames. Following a military coup in Venezuela, dad was prompted to move the family to somewhere safer. We came to the United States, but dad came first, to set up a house, purchase furniture, a car, and get everything ready for his family to live in this new country. Dad the provider! Then mom, Maggie, Sergio, and Matilde came (our sister Alice was already here with her husband Tony). Here in the U.S. there were many challenges; in 1959 Miami had few Spanish speaking residents. There was a language and culture barrier and the picture frame business was controlled by large companies, so dad went into the furniture business. In 1967 we moved from Hialeah, to Melbourne, where the furniture business was small but the area was flourishing. In 1969, he opened All American Upholstery doing everything from drapery and decorating to furniture refinishing. In the process of establishing this family business, he was the first Cuban to obtain a business license in Brevard County and the first Hispanic to have a business license in the City of Eau Gallie. Our dad was one of the founders of the Spanish-American Club of Brevard, which met at the Eau Gallie Women+óGé¼Gäós Club on Cypress Avenue. The Hispanic community from all over Brevard as well as Indian River came to gather and enjoy the Latin food, music, dancing and dominoes at least once a month. The Club also worked closely with the community on civil projects. Dad was featured several times in the Today Newspaper and local magazines as they focused on immigration, the growing Hispanic community, and the impact many of the Hispanic businesses were having in the area. Dad retired and sold the business in 1986, turning his attention to a hobby he already enjoyed +óGé¼GÇ£ writing poetry. He produced six books of poetry and his poems were published in Spain, Latin America, and monthly in the Miami Latin newspaper El Diario De Las Americas, as well as the Brevard Latin paper El Playero. Dad received awards and honorable mentions for his poetry. He also adopted a new hobby of woodworking Marquetry, making everything from large ornate churches to earrings and plaques. Dad and mom traveled extensively throughout their 76 years of marriage. Dad lived a happy and full life +óGé¼GÇ£ always upbeat. He looked to the Lord Jesus for his guidance and eternity. He and mom were saved and brought us all to Christ in Miami in the early 1960s, at the Templo Biblico Bautista. In time, dad was a deacon and we were faithful members until we moved to Melbourne. In Melbourne, we joined the Calvary Baptist Church in 1968, where dad and mom were faithful to the Spanish ministry until a few years ago. What a peace we have knowing that we will see him again, but until then we will miss him greatly. His children, Alice, Maggie, Sergio, and MatildeHis funeral service will be conducted by his son Sergio Reyes at Calvary Baptist Church, 2980 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL on July 25, 2016 at 11:30 am. Burial will follow in Melbourne Cemetery.Please consider donations in his memory to Calvary Spanish Department, 2980 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32935.