Leonidas Torres Zayas

Leonidas Torres Zayas, born on April 23, 1926, in the “La Sierrita” a rural barrio in Coamo, Puerto Rico – Transition on March 5, 2023, in Evanston, Illinois early Sunday morning at 5 A.M. She was a widow since her beloved partner Jose C. Zayas Rivera died on November 18, 2007. She was married for over 50+ years). Her beloved parents were Maximiliano Perez Torres and Juana Perez Espada.

Leonidas was the last surviving daughter of the Torres generation and joins her 9 siblings, five brothers Clemente, Modesto, Luis, Francisco, Enrique and four sisters Joaquina, Teresa, Vigermina and Guillermina. She gave birth to Juan Miguel in 1963, Migdalia in 1950 married to Jorge Santos, Hiram born in 1951 married to Ruth Wade and Jose in1949 married to Theresa Pacione. She had 8 grandchildren, Sherri, Hiram Jr., Marci, Cristina, Janet, Jorge, and Kathy,

Former resident of the Julia Lathrop Public Housing Development years 1956-1985. She returned in 1988 back to her homeland Coamo, Puerto Rico to live her golden years with her partner in a house they purchase in rural Coamo, Puerto Rico on route 155.

Leonidas had a green thumb and grew fresh fruit, vegetables in Puerto Rico and gardening with flowers in the Julia Lathrop Homes and received awards. She was a great Puerto Rican cook and always had an extra plate for visitors. She returned to Chicago in 2017 after Hurricane Maria devastated the island damaging bridges, roads, the electricity grid, poor transportation, water and little damage to her property and large-scale destruction to the vegetarian throughout the island.

Leonidas was a member of the Catholic Church and a member of St. Bonaventure in Chicago and the Coamo Catholic Church in Puerto Rico. Our beloved mother gave us unconditional love that anchor us in our social emotional development and instilled respect, responsibility, work ethic, service to others, truth, and kindness.  The last seven years were rough for her with Hurricane Maria, the pandemic and being diagnosis with Dementia that eventually overtook her wellness. She was shy of her 97th birthday on April 23, 2023.  God Bless you mother, we ask you for blessings. She would respond God Bless you, my love. “Dios te bendiga madre, te pedimos bendiciones. Ella responder a que Dios te bendiga mi amor. “

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