In loving memory of Margarita Teresita Rodriguez

Obituary

Margarita Teresita Oliva Rodriguez, died peacefully, while surrounded by family, on October 15, 2024, in Orlando, FL. She was eighty-one years old.

Margarita is survived by her daughter, Lillian Payne (Roy Kola Payne) of Orlando; her four granddaughters, Kristen Scott, Kailey Scott, Eleanor Payne, and Claire Payne of Orlando; her bonus children Christine Ramos of Jacksonville and Michael Rodriguez (Amelia Rodriguez) of Deltona, as well as numerous friends and extended family. She is preceded in death by her sister, Maria Cristina Oliva Gonzalez (“Titi”) and her parents Eduardo Oliva and Margarita “Margot” Florez Oliva, and by Annette Gonzalez Ames, her niece in spirit, and Manolo and Alberto Gonzalez, her brothers in spirit.

Margarita was born on November 9, 1942 in Havana, Cuba, to parents Eduardo Oliva and Margarita “Margot” Florez Oliva. She graduated from El Colegio del Sagrado Corazon in 1960, in what was the last catholic school graduation in Cuba.

Her story was extraordinary and yet typical of many Cubans at that time, a story of strength and perseverance. In 1961, at the age of nineteen, she left Cuba by plane with little more than the clothes on her back and a few dollars. Her mother, father and sister would follow, and they would all ultimately end up in Miami. But first, Margarita and her family would fly to New York where she lived with other expatriates in a new land with a new language. She worked hard to adapt, which was the only way to survive back then, and soon found steady work, accepting various positions, and ultimately settling in with Iberia Airlines and later Icelandair while living in Queens, NY. She was married in New Jersey and had a daughter, but soon after, in 1978, the family moved to Miami where she worked for the school board and became a loyal parishioner of St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores. Her years in Miami were special to her. She became Abuela, loving and embracing her four granddaughters as each came into her life; much in the same way she loved all her family and friends. She loved spending time with them; she loved loud holiday gatherings and boisterous conversation; good food and good wine. They were times that brought her closer to the memories of her Cuba.

“Macu,” as she was affectionately called by her childhood friends, was devoted to her catholic faith and her beloved island. The memories of her youth in Cuba, of her school, her childhood friends and of her church were precious to her and she spoke of them often. And like most girls from the island, she was a dancer. In New York, she and her sister, and their “third sister” Silvita, were part of a dancing troupe that performed Cuban-style dance, in parades and festivals in New York City. She loved baseball from her years in Cuba and from her years in Queens, she became and remained an avid NY Mets fan,…for better or worse. One of her fondest memories was going to New York with her daughter to see a Mets game the season before they tore down Shea Stadium.

Margarita, Macu, Mami and Abuela…as she was known by those who loved her, did not have an easy life but it was bountiful and filled with love. And she will be dearly missed. Rest in peace, Mami. I love you.

A Mass is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 9, 2024 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Miami Shores, FL. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Margarita’s life. The family would like to thank everyone at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church for their help and consideration.