Zoila Estrella Tezanos

ZOILA ESTRELLA TEZANOS 1927 - 2017 APRIL 6, 1927 - JULY 16, 2017 Mima (Zoila E.Tezanos) was born in Havana, Cuba on April 6, 1927 to Maria Magdalena Dominguez y Fernandez. Granddaughter by the maternal line of Federico and Concepcion originals from Espana and Puerto Rico. She passed away peacefully at home Sunday July 16, 2017 at the age of 90 years. She was raised in Havana, Cuba with her brother Ysidoro Dominguez. She lived a humble life growing up on her tropical island. She was a beautiful free spirit who loved the arts. She loved singing and dancing. Througout her life she was a cantadora and her heart was a keepsake of Cubas most treasured songs. She loved drawing, painting and wrote many poems and lyrics. In her late teens she met her husband Juan Ramon Tezanos. They were married on February 2, 1946 until his death on September 8, 1997. Together they had seven beautiful children. Six of which were born in Havana, Cuba. Juan, Ramon, Carmen, Victor, Jorge and Raul. Mildred was the last to be born in the United States. In Cuba, Mima struggled to keep food on the table and clothes on her children's backs as she and Juan searched for a better life of freedom and opportunity for her family. Her life is a story of survival and hope as she and her husband safely escaped the communist regime of Castro's revolution with their six children. In 1962 Mima and Juan realized that dream with their children as they left their homeland to immigrate to the United States under Operation Peter Pan. After living one year in Florida, they relocated their family to Los Angeles, California. There she lived the majority of her life as a full time mother and volunteer. There was nothing she would not do to help her family. She gave her time freely to school and church activities. There she learned English and learned to drive. Later on she loved teaching Spanish to her senior friends and taught them to dance Salsa. She was a bright light with an infectious, beautiful smile who loved everyone, and everyone loved her back. She was very involved in her community and made friends wherever she went. She loved life and enjoyed watching her children grow up, graduate, marry and have children of their own. She loved sewing, cooking Cuban cuisine, had great style, loved her novelas, movies and immensely enjoyed holidays and birthdays. Family was very important to Mima. She loved making photo albums and photo collages of her family. Mima dearly loved all of her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a God Mother to Yvonne Gallegos in 1977. Mima kept a special place in her heart and had a very tender and loving way to communicate to her disabled great-grandaughter Havana Winter and her grandson Brandon. She will love and watch over them forever. In her last decade, Mima lived in Arizona with her daughter Carmen and her husband Sam. There she lived on a lake, with palm trees and saguaros that she relished viewing out of her bedroom window. She loved how the hot air ballons flew above the home as floating lanterns lighting up the Sonoran night sky. She thoroughly enjoyed a life of peace and relaxation. She looked forward to her weekly lunches with her son Ramon. She loved being pampered in her old age. Often she and Carmen enjoyed the spa, getting manicures and pedicures, going to the movies and of course shopping was her favorite pastime. Having dinner was not complete without her one glass of red wine. Mima also loved animals very much. She had her Maltese dog Mitzy for 18 years and then another Maltese puppy, Bella that enriched her life in her later years. Although flying was not something she enjoyed, she did enjoy traveling. Mildred and Jorge took Mima to Puerto Rico where she learned that there was more to see of this world. After 55 years, in May of 2017 her wish to travel to Cuba and once again see her homeland came true. She made this emotional trip with her daughter Carmen, her granddaughter Yvonne and her fiance Luc. Upon setting foot on Cuban soil, her heart could not contain the flood of emotions that came over her. She cried tears of joy and pain for the memories of her life. She went to visit the home where she grew up with her mother and brother. She finally saw the window once again that was so dear to her because from that window, that is where she first saw the love of her life. A few days later she visited Playa Santa Fe and saw the home where she raised her children, the home she left behind. She got to enjoy the Buena Vista Social Club dinner and Show. She was in Heaven, almost. As she visited Colon Cemetary where her mother lay to rest and after seeing the tomb where her grandfather who fought in the Spanish War with Jose Marti is entombed, she expressed her desire to be laid to rest with them in Havana, Cuba. She loved to teach her whole life. Posthumously we find that she has left us with a few final lessons that truly are a gift. A document called "My Ten Commandments" was found after her death that she penned in both Spanish and English. She lived by these gentle, humble and loving guidelines. You will find as you read them that she was indeed a poet of the most sincere heart. She possessed infinite wisdom, grace and beauty. Her words will forever endure in our hearts and minds as a poignant reminder of how precious the miracle of life is. MIS DIEZ MANDAMIENTOS 1. No te preocupes, la preocupacion es lo mas unproductive de todas las actividades humanas. 2. No tengas miedo, algunas veces tenemos miedo de algo que nunca pasa. 3. No cruces el puente hasta que no llegues a el, nadie ha triunfado en eso antes. 4. Enfrenta cada problema como viene, tu puedes resolver uno a la vez de todas maneras. 5. No te lleves a la cama los problemas, ellos no te dejaran dormir. 6. No te cojas los problemas de otra persona para ti, ellos pueden resolverlos mejor que tu. 7. No revivas el ayer pr bien or por mal, ya se fue. Concentrate en lo que esta pasando en tu vida hoy. 8. Cuenta las bendiciones aun las pequenas porque muchas pequenas seran una grande. 9. Aprende a escuchar, solo cuando se escucha oyes ideas diferentes a las tuyas, es muy dificil aprender algo nuevo cuando tu estas hablando. 10. No te molestes por las frustaciones, porque el 90% esta rodeada de lastima de uno mismo y solo interfiere con la accion positiva para ti. MY TEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Don't worry, the preoccupation is the most unproductive of all human activities. 2. Don't be afraid, some times we are afraid of something that never happens. 3. Do not cross the bridge until you get there. Nobody has ever succeeded in that before. 4. Face each problem as they come. You only can solve one at a time anyway. 5. Do not take take to bed the problems, they won't let you go to sleep. 6. Do not take other persons problems for you, they can solve them better than you. 7. Do not revive the yesterday for better or for worse, it's all ready gone. Concentrate in what happens in you life today. 8. Count the blessing, even the smallest, because many small ones make one big one. 9. Learn to listen. Only when you listen do you hear different ideas than yours. It's very difficult to learn some thing new when you are talking. 10. Don't get mad for any frustration because 90% of them are surrounded by self pity and only interfere with positive action for you. Let us celebrate her 90 years of life. Until we meet again Mima. We will love you forever.