Maria Teresa Diaz's Obituary
María Teresa Díaz (July 25, 1934 – May 21, 2023)
Long retired from Miami-Dade County, FL and Paterson, NJ school systems, María Teresa Díaz (Arias) led a full life in the United States since 1964 after immigrating with her husband, Rigoberto Díaz who predeceased her on February 20, 2003. Upon his death, she remained working as a Spanish Teacher until 2009 at Gulfstream Elementary in Miami. She was born in Placetas, Las Villas in Cuba on July 25, 1934. Her parents were Francisco Arias and Ubaldina Arias (Macias).
After studying in Florida, Camaguey where she also met her husband, this independent and diligent primary school teacher was later married on July 5, 1959. Like many in Cuba, together with their eldest son, Rodrigo Díaz born May 16, 1960, Rigoberto and María T. Díaz left Cuba seeking freedom and began their journey in Mexico where they learned that she was pregnant. Although their journey was temporarily stalled, they made it to Newark, NJ in March of 1964 where her aunt and uncle among other earlier immigrants helped their transition. Their second son Francisco Díaz was born on December 16, 1964.
In 1970, another son, Eric Rigo Díaz was born on March 24, 1970 who predeceased her on October 29, 2020. With three young boys in tow and the help of her mother and father who later joined her in Paterson, NJ, she went to what was then called the Weekend College at Montclair State College in NJ earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1974 and becoming a Spanish Teacher until retiring the summer of 1989. Upon her arrival in Miami, she secured state licensure and began teaching in the Miami-Dade County Schools for an additional twenty years.
María Teresa Díaz had three major components in her life nearly thirty years in Cuba, twenty-five years in New Jersey (Paterson and Wayne) and over 34 years in Florida (Miami and Homestead). Not only did she leave her homeland like many in the early sixties unsure what new challenges she would face, she forged a new life in two different States and helped develop and shape the lives of her family that later included other sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren. As an avid reader, traveler and admirer of museums, art exhibits, theater and a fair share of shopping sprees for designer clothing, she led an active life outside of her extensive teaching career. She would often speak of all these opportunities and life changing experiences like many elders sharing plenty through oral history of her life in Cuba and beyond. She warmly embraced her new country, but never forgot her roots. She admired the music, the people and all that Cuba did to shape her into the intelligent and articulate woman who was bilingual who ably supported many family members and others who also later immigrated to the U.S.
Her parents later passed on in the mid to late seventies in the United States and her late husband joined them in 2003. Her eldest son, Rodrigo Díaz married and had two children Rigoberto Rodrigo Díaz who later had his own daughter Angelica Teresa Díaz as well as Eric Rodrigo Díaz who later had two children of his own, Rodrigo James Díaz and Eric Joseph Díaz. Along with his current wife, Fabiola Díaz (Baez) they had continued to support and visit her with their expanded family until she recently passed.
Her second son, Francisco Díaz was later married to Ana M. Díaz (Medina) and had two children Adrian Gabriel Díaz and Matthew (Mateo) Valentino Díaz who remained as vigilant as possible although residing in NJ. They shared many likes such as music, the arts and always frequented New York City each time
she traveled north to visit. Setting up her itinerary for her visits and taking her to all the places she enjoyed will always be special memories.
Eric Rigo Díaz, the youngest, was later married and lived with María Teresa Díaz until 2018 when she entered The Residences of Miami until a few days ago. He predeceased her in October 2020 along with his first-born Hayden Elisha Díaz in 2008. He went on to have two other children, Aiden Eli Díaz and Chloe Aurora Diaz. He shared many moments in her life and was ever-present after the passing of her husband.
For over four and half years, María Teresa Díaz resided in the Residences of Miami where they immediately adopted her and helped her adjust to her new life. Suffering from dementia can take on many challenges, but the staff and fellow residents truly became her extended family caring for her in numerous ways. Not a day would go by without them extending the love and respect she deserved and they knew how to manage her every need. She flourished in many ways and demonstrated to them and the world her resiliency until the end. The family thanks them for all they did to help make her life as special as it could be.
Flowers are welcomed, but you can also donate in her honor at the Dementia Society of America or one of her favorite charities, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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