Page created by: Alfredo Lorenzo

Isabel Lorenzo, my mom, was born in Cuba in 1930. She was the youngest of her siblings: Pedro, Pilar, and Carlos. My mother was a very happy person; she loved singing at home and had a beautiful voice. She graduated as a teacher in Cuba, then married the love of her life, my father, Manuel Lorenzo. Together they had three children: Jose, Carmen, and Alfredo. Due to the political situation in Cuba, the family immigrated to United States and established their roots in California. Isabel continued to be the matriarch, rock, and glue of the family. She and my father continually gave love and guidance to their sons and daughter. They always supported us through our endeavors and made our dreams possible. She was a wonderful grandmother, who devoted time to all her grandchildren with love, laughter, and understanding. Her warm meals, hearty laughs, and trademark pinching will linger in our hearts forever. Isabel always made herself available to family and friends. Anyone who met my mother found themselves moved in one way or another by her warmth, kind personality, and insistence on being honest. You could count on her to tell you the truth and speak her mind; my mom never held back on an opinion or saying what she believed. For many, she was a model of a strong mind and passed down to us the power of our voice. Unfortunately, her health was severely impacted by Parkinson’s, a horrible disease that deteriorated her health. However, it was never able to touch her warrior spirit or love for all her family.

Today, we miss her very much. We try to honor her legacy by being better people. We do this in remembrance of the unconditional love she offered us, and the lessons that both her and my father taught us. In her name, we dedicate a small grain of sand as part of the larger efforts to fight this horrible disease, so that people affected in future can smile longer.