Mirtha Sirven's Obituary
Mirtha Sirven Solorzano was born on December 5, 1933, in Santiago de Cuba, to Juan Solorzano and Dolores Balart, both of Santiago de Cuba. Mirtha grew up in Santiago, finished high school and was taking courses in secretarial studies when she met and then married Jose Emilio Sirven, a mechanical engineer, and they lived in Nicaro, Oriente, Cuba, where Jose Emilio worked for the US owned Nickel plant and the company maintained a company town. After Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista government and the government expropriated the nickel plant operations, the family moved to Varadero, Cuba to plan the family’s next move. The Communist assassin Che Guevara personally expelled the family from Cuba (a blessing) and on October 22, 1960, the family flew to Miami. Soon thereafter the family moved to Lakeland, Florida, where Mirtha raised her three children until January 1969 when the family moved to Barranquilla, Colombia, where Jose Emilio worked as an Ex Pat Engineer managing the construction of a chemical processing facility. In 1970 the family moved back to the United States, choosing to live in Miami. Mirtha continued to raise her children in Miami and was a loving and devoted grandmother taking care of her grandchildren before they were of school age. She also spent a lot of time over several years taking care of her mother, Lola, who had suffered a debilitating stroke and never recovered. She was active at St. Agatha Catholic Church where she served for many years in the “Damas Catolicas” organization until her advancing Dementia prevented her from driving and eventually a bout with Covid took away her ability to walk. Her husband, who had changed his name to Joseph Emilio as part of the citizenship naturalization process, predeceased her. Mirtha is survived by her brother, Omar Solorzano—Chi Chi (Juana) and three children, Mirtica Gonzalez (Esteban), Jose Emilio Sirven (Raiza), and Gilda Sirven Brohee (widow of Bruno Brohee). She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Kristi Perez (Albert), Jennifer Gonzalez (Valeria), Steven Gonzalez (Amanda), John-Paul Sirven, Christian Sirven (Madelene), Carolina Sirven (Brad), and Stephanie Brohee, and five great grandchildren, Lucas Perez, Noah Perez, Nina Perez, Jack Sirven and Damian Gonzalez.
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