Alicia Romañach

Alicia Lavastida Romañach

On Saturday, March 12, 2016, five days after suffering a devastating stroke and cerebral hemorrhage, the angels came and took Alicia home to heaven, where Jesus and Mary welcomed her, to be reunited with her loving husband Julio, her parents José and Juana, and her siblings José, Marta Teresita, Carmen Margarita and Sarita (sister-in-law), who all preceded her in death.

Alicia was a devout Catholic, an exemplary wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a very patriotic Cuban. She was born on April 14, 1926 in Candelaria, Cuba, to a Cuban family that very actively participated in the armed struggle for Cuban independence from Spain in the nineteenth century, being the great-granddaughter of General Juan Lorente de la Rosa, one of Antonio Maceo's chief lieutenants in the Ejército Libertador Cubano (The Cuban Liberation Army). Alicia was forced to leave Cuba on political and religious grounds in 1962, after Castro's tyrannical and atheistic regime took control of the island and extinguished the freedoms of the Cuban people. She remained a patriotic Cuban and hoped and prayed for the restoration of freedom in Cuban. After immigrating to the United States and becoming a U.S. citizen, Alicia also became a patriotic American, loved her adopted country dearly, and was extremely proud of being an American, and of exercising her rights as a citizen, particularly the right to vote.

Alicia attended the University of Havana where she met Julio, her beloved husband who was an attorney and economist for the Central Bank of Cuba (Banco Nacional de Cuba). She attained a degree in physical education and worked as a physical education teacher in both Cuba and Puerto Rico encouraging her children to participate in athletics in school.

She was a devout Catholic, particularly of the Virgin Mary, who is the patron saint of Cuba (Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre). Throughout her life, she was an active member of several Catholic organizations including the Juventud Católica (Catholic Youth) of which she was past-president; the Acción Católica (Catholic Action); the Hijas de María (Daughters of Mary) and many others. She was a parishioner of St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge. Leading by example, she instilled in her children a deep religious faith in Christ and a sense of obligation to be loving, charitable, and merciful unto others. She taught us to love the Lord and to love one another, reminding us on a daily basis that love is the most important thing, that God was love, and to remember the words of Santa Teresa de é�vila: "Quién a Dios tiene nada le falta, solo Dios basta." (Whoever has God in him lacks nothing, just having God is enough.)

As a devout Christian, Alicia enthusiastically practiced charity and was an exemplary loving and nurturing mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend to us all. Her house was always a refuge for her extended family and for all that needed her. Although after leaving Cuba, she and her husband had only modest means, she instilled in all her children and grandchildren the firm belief in the importance of having a good education, making certain that her children had the best education available. She was eminently successful. All her children are college graduates: four attorneys and one accountant; and among the grandchildren there is one attorney, one medical doctor, one economist, one electrical engineer, one security analyst, one journalist, one soon will be a historian and another an educator, while her two younger grandchildren remain in school. Not bad for a guajirita (country girl) from Candelaria. Alicia was also blessed with five great-grandchildren: Caroline, Christopher, Robert, Olivia and William (Liam).

Alicia was preceded in death by her parents, José Lavastida and Juana García Lavastida; her beloved husband Julio Antonio Romañach; and her siblings, José Lavastida, Marta Teresita Lavastida Hulet, and Carmen Lavastida (Coqui); her very dear sister-in-law (full sister, as far as Alicia was concerned), Sara (Sarita) Mata Lavastida (wife of her brother José) and brother-in-law, William Hulet (husband of Marta Teresita). She is survived by her five children: Julio (Paula), Lourdes Barro (José Luis), José Antonio (Patti), Carlos (Kyla), and Javier (Barry); ten grandchildren, José (Sarah), Cristina (Jeff), Jorge (Michelle), Marta (Riley), Michelle (Alex), Andrés, Tomás, Ana, Matthew, Grace, and "adopted" granddaughter Kiera; four nieces and nephews, the very reverend Father José Lavastida, Jorge Lavastida (Maureen), Teresa Lavastida, and Diana Hulet.

The family would like to thank Zohra Rodriguez, Margarita Quesada, Yolanda Villafuerte, and all of Alicia's caregivers, as well as the personnel of St. Clare's, Baton Rouge Rehabilitation Hospital, and Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center for the loving care they provided Alicia during the last years of her life. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Alicia's name to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Visitation at St. Aloysius Catholic church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana beginning at 9:30 am on Thursday, March 17, 2016, until funeral mass at 11:00 am.

Visitation

St. Aloysius Catholic Church
2025 Stuart Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA  70808
Thursday, March 17, 2016
9:30 am-11:00 am

Service

St. Aloysius Catholic Church
2025 Stuart Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA  70808
Thursday, March 17, 2016
11:00 am

Cemetery

St. George Cemetery
7808 St. George Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA  70809