Claudio E. Ponce, Que en Paz Descanse

Yesterday, Jorge Ponce's father, Claudio Emerio Ponce, passed away at the age of 87.  Jorge is a friend of mine and of this blog and has been interviewed on Radio Mambi and Babalublog.  

Mr. Ponce, Sr. brought his family here from Cuba in 1966 and moved to the D.C. area. A native of Caibarien, he worked for the Ministerio de Haciendas (Treasury Department) as an accountant in Cuba and then in the US and became the president of Casa Cuba in DC. In this capacity he brought famous Cuban musicians to D.C. like Miguelito Valdes (Mr. Babalu), Celia Cruz and La Sonora Mantancera (the first time that they were brought to the DC area), Xiomara Alfaro, Roberto Ledesma, Primitivo Santos and Vicentico Valdes.  In 1976 he planned an event to mark the bicentennial of the United States which was held at the Kennedy Center and brought entertainment luminaries like Don Pedro Vargas and Fernando Albuerne to perform.

Mr. Ponce moved to Miami after he retired to escape the cold and the snow. He had suffered several strokes before succombing to heart failure. He is survived by his wife, Hilda Mencia de Ponce, his sons, Jorge and Mateo; his daughter, Teresita, and seven grandchildren.  he will be remembered as a meticulous planner of social events, a man whose heart never forgot Cuba, and a great father.

My condolences to Jorge and his family.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 "Ecclesiastics 3:1-8"