Guillermo Octavio Gomez's Obituary
Guillermo Octavio Gómez, 94, of Hialeah Florida, died on November 14, 2022. Guillermo was known to many as “Willie” or “Shorty”. He was preceded in death by his parents Augustine, Edelmira, and Pedro, as well as by his brother Peter, and by his wife Angelina. He is survived by his son William, and daughter-in-law Joy, and by his son Charles, and son-in-law Matthew, by his sister-in-law Pat, by his brother Eddie and sister-in-law Sharon and also by his granddaughter Summer Brooke and grandson-in-law Joe.
Guillermo was a lover of family picnics, Christmas decorations, adventurous travel, great storytelling, gift-giving, and perfectly cooked rice. Born to Augustine and Edelmira Gómez in Havana, Cuba on January 19, 1928, Guillermo’s father died when he was a young child and he was subsequently raised by Pedro and Edelmira Gonzalez. Willie was privileged to enjoy the company of younger brothers Peter and Eddie Gonzalez throughout most of his life.
Guillermo spent time in New York, NY and Miami, FL before naturalizing as a US Citizen at the age of 23 in 1951. That same year Guillermo married his wife Angelina -his beloved “China”- in Havana. The couple settled in Miami and welcomed their son William in 1952 and their son Charles in 1953. As a young man, Guillermo worked for a small grocery in Cuba. After taking a few jobs in New York City, Shorty found work on a factory line working for Foremost Dairy in South Florida. Although he also trained as an electrician, he would go on to raise his family as a proud Hialeah resident while working for McArthur Dairy, eventually retiring as a plant foreman in 1989.
Guillermo worked hard to educate both of his boys in the Catholic system, attending church at Corpus Christi and eventually Immaculate Conception in Hialeah. Detective William “Bill” Gomez would go on to work in law enforcement, serving the Metro Dade Police Department for over 30 years. Charles “Chuck” Gomez would go on to become a war correspondent and award-winning journalist, author, playwright, and visual artist.
Guillermo and Angelina welcomed a daughter-in-law, Joy, in 1972. William & Joy welcomed Shorty & Angelina’s only granddaughter, Summer Brooke, in 1979. Summer Brooke would go on to become a psychotherapist and a filmmaker. In 2008, Guillermo and Angelina welcomed grandson-in-law Joe Anson. In 2014, after years of intense caregiving, Guillermo lost his wife Angelina to Alzheimer’s after more than 60 years of marriage. He was especially lucky to have the family next door support him through this loss. Thank you to the Castillo-Gonzalez family from the bottom of our hearts for showing a generosity of spirit that will never be forgotten. Guillermo’s son Chuck married in 2018, and Guillermo welcomed son-in-law Matthew Carnino.
To say that Guillermo was invested in his family and his community would be an understatement. He used to say that you have to deal with the people with love. And love he did. After more than 30 years of serving post-retirement as a more-than-full time volunteer at his beloved Immaculate Conception church, the “keeper of the keys” has finally gone home. After providing care for his ailing wife for years and a serving as a helper at the Miami Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, after making the sign of the cross on many foreheads and offering comfort to everyone he met, after decades of being a man with one grandchild that generations of Hialeah kids called “Abuelo”, Guillermo finally allowed somebody to help him. With the advent of the pandemic, Guillermo spent an increasing amount of time in the care of his son Bill and his daughter-in-law Joy, eventually coming to depend entirely upon them. Guillermo truly embodied the Christian value of loving your neighbor and truly he was loved. He will be missed by his family, his friends, and by everyone who ever passed his way.
Schedule
*The viewing will take place on Sunday, 11/20/22, between the hours of 6 PM and 11 PM at the San Jose funeral home, 250 E. 4th Ave., Hialeah, FL
*From 6 PM to 8 PM is the time set aside for the family. Viewing from 8 PM to 11 PM is set for the public viewing.
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On Monday, 11/21/22, at 10 AM, at the Immaculate Conception Church, located at 4497 West 4th Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33012. Mass will be held for Dad.
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Directly after the mass concludes, the Hialeah Police Department will be there to escort us to the Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, located at
11411 NW 25th Street
Miami, FL 33172. Graveside service and burial will be at 11:30 AM
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