Lucinda Vasseur

Lucinda Vasseur, our dear Lucy, was born in Havana, Cuba, on June 1st, 1948, to Manuel Rodriguez and Micaela Gomez. She grew up in the picturesque Isle of Pines, south of Havana. As a young child she started developing an appreciation for the beautiful landscape of the island, her grandmother’s garden, going horseback riding with her aunt and swimming in the beautiful beaches like Playa Negra with sand that was really from black marble. She always loved to reminisce about these early experiences.

She moved with her grandparents to Havana when she was 8 years old to live very near the Plaza de la Catedral, in the historical area of Old Havana. Nearby was the Salesian Catholic School where she completed primary and middle school. She started higher education in the Instituto until political turmoil made life extremely difficult.

In 1967, she came to the United States with her aunt Esperanza and her grandmother Luisa just like other Cuban refugees. Lucy very soon started working in the Panamerican Hospital in Miami, where she progressed from working in the cafeteria as a server to eventually becoming Head Cashier in the Business Office in 1972, while studying accounting at night. She was forever grateful to this country for adopting her and giving her the opportunity to start a new life in freedom.

In 1972, her charm and her beautiful blue eyes caught the attention of Pedro who fell in love with her. They were married in 1974, after a two-year long-distance courtship and then moved to Brooklyn, New York. She became part of the Business Office team at the LeRoy Hospital and Osteopathic clinic in midtown Manhattan where she had many successes improving the business workflows.

In 1980 she had Lisa Marie, who joined the team with Peter, Pedro’s son. Lucy then dedicated herself to raising her daughter and helping her in-laws and Peter.

In 1989 Lucy became a certified tax preparer, working part time at a tax firm. Everything she did in the care and maintenance of our property we acquired in 1984, her ideas, projects and suggestions, transformed the place into the admiration of the neighborhood, especially the backyard garden where she used her “green thumb” very well to her enjoyment. Like everything in her life she infused her love into it and made it bloom.

Planning for future retirement, she found a beautiful place in Pompano Beach in 2003 which became the family’s eventual place to go to in Florida.

In 2011, the family expanded when Lisa married Claudio and then in 2013 Annabelle arrived, and later in 2017, Sara, to Lucy’s great enjoyment. She happily acquired another nickname: Mima.

Lucy truly enjoyed the gift of life even when it was difficult. She believed that one should be grateful in every moment and to always find beauty in every encounter and circumstance. Her love for the United States of America was so great that she was usually heard saying "God Bless America.". She was witty and all of her sayings in English and in Spanish will always be remembered especially by her daughter Lisa who will without a doubt be carrying them on.

In recent years she faced bravely the challenge of dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis and the debilitating effects of the disease. Throughout this long illness she never lost her faith in God and pushed on with whatever energy she had to enjoy life with family and friends. She always had joy in her heart and loved to share that with her family, friends and many more.

Now, she rests peacefully in the arms of her Lord.

She is survived by her husband, Pedro, her children Lisa Marie, Claudio and Peter, her granddaughters Annabelle and Sara, and her siblings Vilma, Charlie and Carlos.

The Arthritis Foundation. https://info.arthritis.org/donate-today

***Donations to the Rheumatoid Arthritis foundation in her memory are preferred instead of floral arrangements. 

The Arthritis Foundation. https://info.arthritis.org/donate-today 

Phone: 1-800-283-7800