Manuel De La Vina Sr.

Manuel DeLaVina, Sr., 88, Tampa, FL, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Manuel was first generation American, Tampa native, born to Spanish immigrant parents (Piedad and Antonio) on October 25, 1928 in Tampa, FL. Manuel enjoyed living in Ybor City attending George Washington Junior High and graduating with honors from Hillsborough High School on June 14, 1948. Manuel is a Korean War Veteran enlisted in the U.S. Army in September of 1949 and stationed in Europe. He had a “never say no” attitude when an opportunity presented itself, and this took him to diesel mechanic school in Murnau Germany while he was stationed in England during the war. After the war Manuel met and married Rachel Fernandez, attended the Univ. of Florida for two years, later continuing his service to the U.S. working for the Department of Defense for over 30 years at the GE facility in St. Petersburg, FL. Manuel always instilled a “never give up” motto which continued in all his fights with cancer and a quadruple bypass. Manuel’s favorite saying was “Fly High with Eagles”. Manuel is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Rachel, his two children, Manuel, Jr. (wife Debbie) and Yvette Riddle (husband Steven) all living in Tampa, FL. Three grandchildren, Joe, Kevin (wife Lindsay), and Jessica in addition to four great grandchildren Tyler, Bryson, Ethan, and Lily. Manuel is also survived by sister, Lidia (husband Art) and brothers, Louis (wife Norma) and Tony (wife Olivee) in addition to his nephews (Tony, David, Michael, and Kenneth), nieces (Donna, Suzanne, Sandy, and April), and many cousins in the U.S. and in San Esteban Spain (Julita, Tito, Julio, Isabel, Luis, Sarah, and Pelayo). Manuel loved animals and his constant companion for the last 12 years was his dog Buddy who has been missing their walks together, and whose ears perk up each time he hears Manuel’s keys. Manuel loved watching his kids and grandkids in all their activities and competitions. He also had a love of Florida Beaches and any mountains, which led to many family vacations at the beach and in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Beech Mountain. We think this love of surf and mountains comes from his parent’s homeland of Asturias Spain where the countryside is a combination of the ocean and beautiful mountain ranges. Manuel’s memory will live on through his family and all the great stories he told us about his life’s experiences. In lieu of flowers at the cemetery, the family requests donations be made to American Lung Association where a special page has been set up for donations to be in Memory of Manuel.