Armando Lucio Gutierrez

Armando Lucio Gutierrez was born on Tuesday October 13, 1936 to Armando (Mando) and Virginia (Lila) Castillo Gutierrez in Matanzas, Cuba. He was their only son and their great pride and joy. The family eventually made their way to live in Havana where he grew up loving living there and making frequent trips to “El Malecon” and “El Club”. He passed away on October 26 with his family by his side. He lived a wonderful life to the ripe old age of 88. He was known to say very frequently that he led a good life and that he was so lucky to have such a loving wife, seven incredible children, and ten fantastic grandchildren.

Armando began his studies in medicine in Havana, Cuba with the desire to become a surgeon. He always knew that it was important to have a career where he was the boss because he never liked having other people boss him around. He was unable to finish his studies at the University in Havana because of the revolution in Cuba against the communist leader Fidel Castro. He ended up joining the revolution and traveling to Guatemala for training in 1961. It was there in Guatemala that he earned his well deserved nickname “Bullet”, as he was known to go around camp, collecting as many bullets as he could find. His assigned boat was to be one of the last ones set to be launched but it never left the harbor as Kennedy committed the US to never invading Cuba. This ended the crisis.

He finally was able to travel to Madrid, Spain to continue his studies in medicine and graduate with “Titulo de Licenciado en Medicina and Cirugia” on July 14, 1965. His perseverance paid off as he was able to complete two years of study in only 11 months as that was all he could afford at the time. His first wife Lourdes and their oldest son Armando Eduardo, born in October of 1961 lived there with him as well.

Back in the United States he was able to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and then did rotations at the hospital in Lakeland, Florida and also in Barton Hospital. Upon graduation he returned to Miami, Florida where he started his own practice in General and Vascular Surgery. In the meantime two more children were born. Victor Rafael, a son, in October of 1965 and a daughter, Lourdes Maria in April of 1969. He had privileges in many hospitals to begin with but as fate would have it he mostly chose to utilize American Hospital on Bird Road in Miami, Florida. It was there in 1978 that he met his wife, Cathy. She was a registered nurse there and they met because he needed her assistance to insert a CVP line. If not love at first sight, it was at the very least a big attraction. However, it took him two hours to convince her to go out on a date with him, finally invoking the help of his mother if only Cathy would agree to talk to her. That settled it. It was just easier to go out once and see how it went. After a very long courtship of six and a half years, they finally married on October 19, 1984.

Their first son, Richard Edwin was born in July of 1986. Katrina Teresa followed in November 1987. Leandro Michael was born in June of 1989, followed in quick succession yet again by Michael Joseph in February of 1991.

Armando continued working as a surgeon in Miami, Florida until a severe eye injury forced him to retire.

Armando and Cathy finally packed up their beloved home in Miami in January of 2020 and made the trek to Austin, Texas to be closer to three of their four children and their two grand daughters, Leanna Teresa Pitera and Marcela Teresa Pitera, the two daughters of Katrina and her husband, Albert Pitera.

Armando was pre deceased by many family members including his parents Armando and Lila Gutierrez, his second “Mom” Aleida and her husband Gustavo, and many other aunts and uncles. He was also predeceased by his in-laws, Joseph Bernard and Theresa Loreen Sherratt, and his brother-in-law Kevin Sherratt.

As well as his wife and seven children and their spouses, Armando (Erika), Victor (Ada), Lourdes Maria (Jose), Richard (Margaret), Katrina (Albert), Leandro (Rachel), Michael (Jake), he leaves behind his ten grandchildren, Armando Luis Gutierrez, Izabella Gutierrez, Cecilia Maria Herran, Sofia Maria Herran, Melissa Maria Herran, Cristina Maria Herran, Jaden Gutierrez, Gianna Gutierrez, Leanna Pitera, and Marcela Pitera. He also leaves behind many other in-laws, Ann and Kevin MacDonald, Loreen Van Oort and her partner Van MacDougall, Pam (Kevin - deceased) Sherratt, and Mark and Deb Sherratt. He also leaves behind friends that are family, Marion Mooney and Veronica McAteer. Definitely as a very honorable mention, his friend of more than 60 years, Richard (Tamara) Villaverde. As the oldest of all his cousins on both sides of the family, he also leaves behind a multitude of cousins and their families.

He will be sorely missed. His sly and dry humor will forever be recounted. We will all always miss hearing him say “Left, Coño” as that has been the iconic phrase since his stroke of December of 2021.

A joyous memorial service in remembrance of his long and wonderful life will be celebrated at our home on Saturday, November 2.