Leida Isaura Mateo Cartaya

Leida Isaura Mateo Cartaya passed away peacefully on Friday, July 3, 2020 in her home, surrounded by family photos and loving memories.

Born in 1923 in Santa Cruz Del Norte, Cuba, Cartaya spent her early years in Hershey, later moving to Havana in 1936. Her young adulthood redefined a woman’s role in the

‘40s: she was a renowned pianist who earned a master’s degree in education. In

1944, she met and married the love of her life, Juan Ignacio Cartaya, and created a vibrant household built on love, music and family.

Together with their two children, they escaped Castro’s revolution and emigrated to Miami, Florida in 1960 determined to create a new life. Following the birth of her third child, she enrolled in Barry University and earned her master’s in education for a second time. For nearly three decades, she touched hundreds of children’s lives as a passionate Kindergarten teacher.