Maria Mercedes Blanco's Obituary
Blanco, Maria Mercedes, born April 8, 1908 in Cuba, daughter of Jesus
and Maria Blanco-Roye, passed away on April 19, 2009. Known as "Tia
Nena" to her family and "Mercy" to her many friends, she was an
adoring and loving sister, aunt, and great aunt. Her family and
friends will all miss her feisty spirit, her vivacious smile, and her
impeccable style. She showed special devotion to her dear sister Mary
Traba, who predeceased her in 2008. The two never lived apart, even
sharing the same assisted living facility, and Mercy dedicated her
life to Mary's care after she became a victim of Alzheimer's.
Mercy was a resident of Miami for 62 years, originally from Tampa,
Florida. During the Great Depression in Tampa, she worked as an
administrative assistant at the Tampa Tribune while studying
accounting and later graduating from Brewster Vocational School. She
also studied for two years at the University of Tampa. Mercy was a
pioneer, an independent career woman who never married, with an
adventurous zest for life and passion for travel and the arts. In
Miami she was an administrative assistant to Daniel J. Mahoney, the
late publisher of the Miami News. She also worked as an accountant for
General Mills and as an office manager for Red Belcher of Belcher Oil.
Mercy continued to work as an accountant for the Belcher children as
well as other clients. Mercy believed education was invaluable - she
taught remedial reading to children at Auburndale Elementary School
and was a full-time vocational education teacher at Miami Senior High
School for 26 years.
She is survived by her nephews Joseph Traba, Jr. and Dennis Blanco,
her grand nieces Elizabeth Traba Fitzpatrick and Leslie Traba King,
her grand nephew Joseph E. Traba, and her great-grand nieces and
nephew Jack, Lucy and Madeline. In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association in the name
of Mary Traba. Visitation will be from 10am until Service time 11am on
Monday, April 27th at Van Orsdel Coral Gables. The burial will be
private for family only.
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