Obituary of Clara Pupo

Clara Cadalso was born on August 25, 1935 in Holguin, Cuba. She was the daughter of Dulce Aguilera Cadalso and Rafael "Felelo" Cadalso and the older sister of Gisela Aguilera Cadalso, all of whom pre-deceased her. Clara is survived by her husband of 50 years, Victor E. Pupo. She leaves behind two sons, Victor Rafael and Pedro Francisco (Franky) in addition to their wives, Marian and Leonor. She was the grandmother of two beautiful children she adored - Victor's son Giovanni and Franky's daughter Sydney. Clara's immediate family also included her stepdaughter Josie Bassford Pupo and her husband Charlie Bassford along with Josie's children - Janelle de la Libera and Gabriel de la Libera - whom Clara loved as her own grandchildren. Her father Felelo was a successful businessman and trader of grain futures. Clara's mom Dulce was a teacher and the first-born child of Isabel and Rafael Aguilera who had TWELVE children in total. Those TWELVE were made up of five daughters - Dulce, Ana, Rene, Pepa and Haydee - and seven sons - Pepe, Humberto, Jorge, Felo, Enrique, Oscar and Carlos. Of the twelve aunts and uncles on her mother's side, four survive - Haydee, Enrique, Pepe and Carlos. Clara had the distinction of being the first cousin in her generation. As the first cousin in her generation, she was 81 when she passed away, while the youngest 1st cousin - Joey Aguilera of Los Angeles - is 43, nearly forty years younger. Clara was raised in a family that valued education, ceremony and traditions. The story of the successful Aguilera family of Holguin is reflective of the social order of the time. She was raised in an aristocratic fashion and representative of the elite of that era. As a young woman, she and her contemporaries were very active in the society of the day. She attended countless fiestas de quinces, cotillions and debutante balls. She was a beautiful young woman, with auburn hair and a light complexion representative of her European roots. She also had many lifelong friends who are still with us including Matilde, Yoya, Belkys and Hortensita, to name a few. In addition, she was very close to her aunt Haydee and sister Gisela. Together, they forged a group that was more family than friends. In the 1950s, Clara attended a college specializing in culinary arts and the mastery of etiquette training for young woman, and helped her father build his businesses. After placing great hope and support in the Cuban revolution towards the end of that decade, the good times ended brutally in the early 1960s. Fidel Castro assumed power not as the democratic leader as promised, but as a controlling dictator who embraced socialist and communist ideals. As our family feared, Fidel appropriated her father and grandparents' land and businesses and drove many close friends into prison, poverty, exile, and even death. In 1964, Clara's Tia Haydee decided to leave Cuba when she saw how Fidel was devastating her beloved homeland. Clara decided to join her, leaving her own immediate family behind, and knowing there was no way at the time to enter the US legally. In the process, the three of them became the first members of the renowned Aguilera family to flee the country. In a months-long journey made under false pretenses with falsified documents, Haydee, Clara and Haydee's 3-year-old son Pepitin flew to Mexico and spent a month living in a guest house. It was during this time that Haydee planned their entry into the US. She called in favors from the most ironic government sources, Fidel's older brother Mongo Castro and sister Juanita Castro, both of whom opposed Castro's newly adopted policies. They arranged fake Visas to help them enter the US while Haydee found a "coyote" who secured their passage across the border. That awe-inspiring journey is a tale for the ages. At the time, the Rio Grande was a swirling flow of rapids and rocks. Clara and her cousin Pepi floated across the rising river in an inflatable raft and were pulled to safety by the coyote's men on the Texas side. Haydee crossed by holding onto a rope and the three of them came ashore just West of Brownsville Texas in October 1964. After settling in Miami, Clara met the love of her life Victor Pupo while working at the same employer and they married on September 25th, 1967. Shortly thereafter, Clara appealed to the Cuban government for the release of her parents and sister, who joined her in Miami as part of the 1968 Freedom Flights out of Cuba. They settled in Hialeah and on May 15, 1969 Victor Rafael was born - the first child of the first daughter of the first of 12 children in the extended Aguilera clan to be born in the United States. Eighteen months later, on December 5, 1970 a second son was born and they named him Pedro Francisco, but called him "Panchy" or "Franky". Clara devoted herself to her husband and kids. She was the heart and soul of their home in Palm Springs North, which was then not much more than rolling farmland with cows in what is now a heavily populated Western suburb of Dade County. Victor Sr. became president of the South Florida branch of a highly respected national specialty packaging and paper box company. He worked hard to provide for his family and in-laws while their sons excelled in school and athletics. Clara was a happy homemaker, making sure there was always a warm meal for dinner and a healthy breakfast to start each day. Over the years, she welcomed a host of other kids she embraced as her own including Josie, Victor's daughter from a previous marriage, her cousin Pepi with whom she came from Cuba, Jessica Adriana Miranda whom she considered a granddaughter and of course, her boys' spouses and children. After Dulce and Felelo passed away, she cared for her sister Gisela who had health issues and nurtured her until her death in May 2012. Clara's zest for life and positive outlook were larger than life. She was a happy, fun-loving woman who ALWAYS saw the best in people. She raised money for and volunteered at various churches and supported a myriad of charities and local organizations committed to a Free and Democratic Cuba. Clara was certified to work with the Children Home Society, a place where the estate of Florida sends kids taken from their abusive parents. She would at times bring bus loads of children to her home where she gave them love, food, presents, entertainment, and the blessings of Father Fernando. True to her nature, she never dwelled on the past or the tremendous losses she and her family endured. She came to this country with the clothes on her back and was determined to make a good life for herself and her family. And in that regard, she succeeded without question. Clara was the ultimate hostess and her and Victor's Noche Buena's were the stuff of legend. She would often preside over a sit town dinner for seventy or more guests. The lechón and yucca were traditional fare and the Cuban eggnog (Crèma de Vie) and drinks flowed freely. There was music, dancing and much merriment. And like many other Cuban families on that night, the traditional Christmas Eve toast of peace, love, and happiness ended with "May we celebrate next year reunited with our families under a Free Cuba". Finally, at the stroke of midnight, everyone would gather around her beautifully appointed tree to open gifts. She made sure each guest had a gift to open and that the kids enjoyed the wonder of Santa every year. Clara and Victor made their home a warm and welcoming space where everyone was accepted and loved no matter what. Over the years, she hosted family, friends and her husband's business clients from all over the world including her cousins from Cuba, Spain and the Canary Islands. She also hosted her exiled uncles who were resettled in Los Angeles and her first cousin Jorge Gonzalez a resident of Portland Oregon. Her hospitality had no limit and strangers were as welcomed in her home as her children. When her grandson Gio was born in Long Island, a pleasantly surprised Clara and Victor drove up to meet with Gisela in tow. She would spend many Christmases in New York with Victor Jr and Pepitin whom she considered like a son. Finally, after waiting 40 long years, Franky and Leonor gave Clara her last grandchild Sydney Pupo. She was already becoming frail at that time but the sight of Sydney would bring a smile to her face no matter what she was feeling. Clara's last few years were challenging as she suffered from Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, Arthritis, and various other aliments. In 2015, her sons and stepdaughter and their spouses hosted a remarkable 80th birthday celebration attended by her closest friends and relatives. She was loved by many people and that event was a spectacular celebration of a life well lived. In the months following that event, she was the happiest she had been in years. She valued family and friendships and that celebration infused her with health and happiness for several months. Her family and friends will miss Clara dearly. Even so she would want to be remembered as a happy, positive and compassionate soul…someone who made an indelible impact on everyone who met her and who always brought joy to people's lives. Her loss is profound for us all, but her life serves as an example of what it means to live life to its fullest. The family will celebrate Clara's life on Tuesday, December 6th and lay her body to rest the following day. Details regarding the arrangements follow below. Tuesday, December 6th • Joseph Scarano Funeral Home located at 9000 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, Fl. • Viewing will take place from noon to midnight, with a religious service scheduled for 8 pm Wednesday, December 7th • Pre burial service at Joseph Scarano Funeral Home at 10 am • Burial service will take place at 11:30 at Vista Memorial Gardens Cemetery The Pupo Family would like to thank all their friends and family for the love expressed in Clara's memory. She was truly a selfless soul who showed that unconditional love truly exists by the actions one takes every moment of every day.