Ignacio C. Garcia Du-Quesne's Obituary
Ignacio C. Garcia Du-Quesne, a visionary commercial real estate broker and developer who had a significant impact on the retail real estate landscape in Miami, died on April 5th at Doctor’s Hospital after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 83 years old.
As President of Intervestors Realty in Coral Gables, Ignacio played a pivotal role in establishing some of Miami’s most recognizable retail projects, including Bayside Marketplace and The Village of Merrick Park (now known as Shops at Merrick Park). He recognized the potential for a large urban retail project in Downtown Miami and worked closely with The Rouse Company, a real estate investment trust, as a minority partner to help make Bayside a reality. Similarly, he saw the potential of a public-private partnership opportunity to redevelop an old equipment yard in Coral Gables and represented The Rouse Company in helping them assemble property from 17 different owners to build The Village of Merrick Park.
Ignacio also owned G&D Fast Foods, which owned and operated restaurants and coffee carts in various malls in Miami – including the renowned Churros Café at Bayside Marketplace. He pioneered different ways of making churros and introduced the filled churro to the local market. He ultimately sold the company after years of successful operation.
Ignacio was born in Havana, Cuba to Maria Du-Quesne de Zaldo and Justo Garcia Rayneri, a former mayor of Havana and Secretary of the Treasury in the Batista Administration. He attended La Salle in Havana and summer school at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. He later fled Cuba in 1959 and attended Georgetown University.
Ignacio began his career as a stockbroker with Painewebber and then Francis I. duPont & Co. in Washington, DC. He ultimately transitioned into real estate as the sales and property manager for various large commercial real estate projects in South Florida. In the late 1970s, Ignacio started Hollybrook Realty, a commercial real estate brokerage firm, in Pembroke Pines. After moving from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, he started Intervestors Realty, a commercial real estate brokerage and development firm in Miami.
Ignacio was a gentleman and a man of high integrity who believed in doing things the right way. He lit up a room with his presence and was beloved by many for his generosity, warmth, optimism, and charismatic personality. A skilled conga drum player and possessing a wonderful singing voice, he was often the life of the party. He was also a passionate and exceptional cook who enjoyed preparing meals for family and friends. Most of all, Ignacio’s lasting legacy will be his deep commitment to his family. Without question, it is what he treasured most and placed above all else. He was a devoted husband and family man, willing to make any personal sacrifice for the welfare of his family and those he loved.
A man of deep faith, Ignacio was a proud parish member of Epiphany Catholic Church in South Miami, where he was married nearly 60 years ago and sent his children to school.
Ignacio is survived by his wife Maria Josefa Saladrigas de Garcia Du-Quesne, with whom he fell in love at 14 years old. In addition, he is survived by his daughter Maria Josefa Borell, son Ygnacio L. (Patricia) Garcia-Saladrigas, daughter Maria Cristina (Alberto) Rodriguez, and daughter Maria Teresa (Roberto) Pesant as well as his grandchildren Cristina (Andrei) Velikopoljski, Thomas Ignacio Borell (Carolina Morales), Carolina Rodriguez-Garcia, Ygnacio A. Garcia-Saladrigas, Cecilia Rodriguez-Garcia, Patricia Garcia-Saladrigas, Victor Borell, Maria Teresa Pesant, and Carolina Pesant and great grandchild Mateo Borell as well as sisters Margarita (Eduardo) González del Valle, María de Jesús Garcia-Larrieu, Cristina Díez-Argüelles, and Ana Maria Garcia Du-Quesne and sister-in-law Miriam Garcia-DuQuesne. He was predeceased by his brother Justo Garcia-DuQuesne, sister Isabel Garcia Du-Quesne, sister-in-law Maria Granados, and brothers-in-law Joaquin Garcia-Larrieu and Felix Alberto Granados.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 am on Monday, April 15, 2024 at Epiphany Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests online donations be made to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in honor of Ignacio by visiting this website: https://development.miami.edu/page.aspx?pid=749&id=d0a58b9b-6fac-4de7-b5ba-8ddeaee8fc27
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