Genaro R. Alvarez Mendez

Genaro Rafael Alvarez, 79, died Friday Nov. 4, 2022, at Wellington Place Living & amp Rehab
Center. Genaro was born 24 Oct, 1943, in Havana Cuba to Maria Luisa Mendez and Jose Miguel
Alvarez.

Genaro is survived by his children, his daughter Christine, his son Gabriel, his
granddaughter Elena, his lifelong friend Digna, and his brothers Juan, Jorge, Jose, and Javier.
Genaro’s father died when he was just a boy and he lived with his mother and four
brothers.

As a boy, Genaro attended school in Cuba. As a teenager, he worked in an office at the
Havana Beach Club before Fidel Castro took over. During this time, Genaro joined a counter-
revolutionary group and was handing out political pamphlets when he was arrested and taken to
jail. His passport was confiscated, and he was interrogated by Castro’s authorities and forced to
listen to communist political indoctrination before he was released. Without a passport and after
an unsuccessful attempt to leave by boat, Genaro was arrested and spent time in prison again
before being released.

With the persistent help of his family, especially his brother’s father-in-law Antonio
Mori, in January 1962 Genaro secured asylum within the Brazilian embassy in Cuba. After a
year his brother requested for him to come to the U.S. He was granted special permission to
leave the embassy and be with his family in America, and soon after became a U.S. citizen.

Genaro was drafted by the U.S. Army in January 1967 and received training to be an Electrical
Instrument Repair mechanic. Genaro was stationed at Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia,
and Fort MacArthur in California. Genaro received an Honorable discharge from the U.S. Army
in 1968 having achieved the rank of Specialist 4.

In 1979, Genaro married Digna Maria Cruz and had two children: Christine and Gabriel.
He loved his children dearly and taught them the virtues of kindness, humility, and patience by
example of the man he was. He was married to Digna for 20 years, and they remained the best of
friends after an amicable divorce.

Genaro was an electrical engineer specializing in computers and radios. He worked with
some of the first computers in his 20+ years at Racal Milgo in Florida. He later tested and
programmed radios for Motorola in Florida for many years. Genaro was a man of many
passions- he was a self-taught computer programmer, classical guitarist, inventor, and lover of
science fiction. He maintained good relationships with his family members in Florida even after
moving to Texas in 2016 to spend more time with his granddaughter. In his retirement, he
enjoyed going to the pool, working on 3d-printing projects, and spending time with his
granddaughter Elena. He was known for his brilliance, gentleness, and humor to all who knew
him.

A memorial service will be held at a date to be determined in Summer 2023, Florida.