Elio Elias Machado's Obituary
Elio Elias Machado, 73, passed away Friday, May 13, 2022, after an excruciating three-year struggle with colorectal cancer that metastasized to his lungs and liver.
Elio was born in Cabaiguan Cuba and moved to the United States when he was thirteen years-old, just a few years after Castro came into power. The year his parents, Elio Machado and Luisa Gomez, moved him to the USA, was the same year President Kennedy announced the full embargo, prohibiting all trades with Cuba, and any travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens. In October of that year, began the Cuban Missile Crisis. Elio’s parents had to abandon a life of financial comfort and leave everything behind, in order to give their only child a better life in the Land of the Free. Elio went to school in New York City where he met the love of his life, Yvonne Rosa, at the young age of seventeen. Yvonne was twenty-one at the time. In 1970, Elio and Yvonne married and created a beautiful life together in Boston MA, and had two children along the way - Damian and Elena. When Damian was born, Elio and Yvonne created their own ice cream business named Damian’s Pure Natural Ice Cream. They both ran every aspect of the business, from development, taste-testing, locating production facilities, distribution, and delivery. Elio would personally go to the health food stores who carried the ice cream, and make sure they were stocked and arranged neatly. He worked very hard to support his family. In 1991, he sold the business and the Machado family moved to Miami Florida to be closer to Elio’s parents, and because he was tired of cold weather. In Miami, Elio and Yvonne both became realtors. This was the perfect transition for them, since they learned so much about real estate during the sale of their home in Boston, and due to the fact that Elio always thrived best as his own boss. He was quite distinguished with his clientele, and received several real-estate awards, including the highest designation as a member of the President’s Circle. Elio was always close to his parents and made sure they were taken care of. Every Sunday, the Machado home was often full of the extended Machado family and their boisterous Cuban energy. Elio enjoyed being outdoors and pruning his yard and garden of incredible herbs and fruit. He was an avid health enthusiast, and enjoyed cooking using his homegrown herbs. His favorite thing to do, however, was to be surrounded by his family and grandchildren, especially during the holidays.
Elio is survived by his loving wife Yvonne of fifty-two years, his two children - Damian and Elena, Damian’s wife Michelle, Elena’s husband Chris, and four grandchildren - Evan, Logan, Connor, and Leila Rose. A memorial gathering will be held at Van Orsdel funeral home in Miami on Saturday May 28, 2022 from 1-5pm, and there will be a service at the same location at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, or other mementoes that may eventually expire, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Yvonne Machado directly, or to Elio’s GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpelioandyvonnemachado. You may visit the same GoFundMe page for more details on Elio’s cancer and his last hours.
Thank you all for your continued love and support through this incredibly difficult time.
We love and appreciate each and every one of you.
-Yvonne, Elena, and Damian
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