Emilio Ochoa,99; signer of Cuba's 1940 constitution
Hyfler/Rosner
June 28, 2007 Thursday 1:36 AM GMT
Emilio Ochoa, signer of Cuba's 1940 constitution, dies at 99
Emilio Ochoa, believed to be the last remaining signer of
Cuba's 1940 constitution, died Wednesday, family member
said. He was 99.
Ochoa, one week shy of his 100th birthday, died at his Miami
home from cardiac arrest due to old age, his son-in-law
Rafael Sosa said.
"He was a man who only thought about his country and fought
all his life for Democracy and honesty," Sosa said. "He has
been in every cause for the liberty of Cuba."
Born July 4, 1907, Ochoa was elected a senator in 1940 and
served until 1948.
In 1960, Ochoa fled Cuba but returned to the island a year
later, hoping Cuba's 1940 constitution would be revived
after the Bay of Pigs invasion. He left Cuba for good in the
early 1960s.
Ochoa lived in Venezuela, Nebraska and Illinois before
coming to Miami in 1972, Sosa said.
"I have never admired anyone more than Millo Ochoa," U.S.
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart said in a statement Wednesday. "His
patriotism, ultimate integrity and transparency, and love
for his fellow man, as demonstrated by his love for service,
were absolutely remarkable. Millo Ochoa will be forever
remembered as one of the most admirable Cubans in all of
history."
Ochoa's first wife died in 1969, and his son, Carlos, died
from an aneurysm in 1996. He is survived by his second wife,
Martha Herrera, and his daughter, Beba Sosa.
A wake has been scheduled for Friday. A funeral will be held
Saturday at Flagler Memorial Park.
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