Our loving mother, Adelina passed away peacefully in her bed at Arbor Terrace in Middletown, NJ on Sunday evening, May 19th, 2024. Adelina Otilia Manrique (nee Martínez Diaz) was welcomed into this world on August 12, 1935 in the tiny mountain village of Santianes De Ola (Parish of Cangas De Onis) in the Province of Asturias, Spain. She was born into a very rural, poor  albeit simple, beautiful and pastoral setting, in the same place her ancestors had lived and died for many, many generations. Her early childhood was lived in the midst of a very turbulent political and socio-economic time in a Europe quickly devolving into turmoil, fascism and war. Her earliest experiences and memories of that time immensely influenced and affected her for the rest of her life and ultimately tore apart her family. She never forgot the painful memories that were imprinted on her psyche from that time while also always retaining a sense of pride and love for the place she was born.

At age 6, as Spain had sunk into fascism allied with and emboldened by Nazi Germany, her and her mother boarded a steamship in Bilbao, Spain on the Bay of Biscay bound for Havana, Cuba as had tens of thousands before them escaping the terror and bleakness of Europe to build a new life in the New World. Her father, Luis had already left earlier to establish himself in Havana before bringing over his wife and daughter. Ultimately, many members of her extended family joined thousands of other exiled Spaniards in Havana creating a rich, cultural community of new “Cubans”.

Adelina lived a mostly happy middle class life in Havana, her father having an established a successful business. Adelina went on to graduate from High School in 1952, followed by Secretarial/Trade College in 1954. She met and married her loving husband Luis during this turbulent time in the 1960s. In 1969, once again she was forced to flee her adopted country along with her young family. Only this time it was on a jet plane bound for Madrid, Spain never to return to their beloved Cuba. In Spain, we waited patiently, while living with extended family, for over a year for the appropriate entry visas to the United States.

Our family began our journey to becoming citizens of our newly adopted country, The United States of America, on December 18, 1970 on a tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, NY. Our family shortly relocated to Boston, Mass then 4 years later to Elizabeth, NJ where we lived in the loving home where Adelina would reside for 42 years until transitioning to Assisted Living at Arbor Terrace in Middletown, NJ in 2020.

Adelina had a 30+ year career in working in hospital administration from Beth Israel in Boston to Elizabeth General Hospital and finally Alexian Brothers and Trinitas Hospitals all in Elizabeth, NJ. We said goodbye to our dearly departed father and loving husband on August 22, 2004. Adelina lived a quiet content life for the remaining 19 years in the company of her friends, family and cherished pets.

Adelina was genuinely loved and respected by all who knew her, describing her a kind, gentle, compassionate soul full of love and warmth for everyone around her. She was an animal lover, loved nature and the outdoors, especially flowers and mountain scenery; always a simple, country girl at heart.

Adelina will always be remembered with love and fondness by all of us, friends, family and former colleagues. We will miss her smile and sense of humor now and always.

Adelina is predeceased by her parents, Otilia Maria Martínez Díaz (d. 1998) and Luis Martínez (d. 1951), her younger brother, Luis Martínez, Jr. (d. 2017) and her  adoring husband of 37 years, Luis C. Manríque (d. 2004). She is survived by her two loving sons, Javier Manrique and Ricardo V. Manrique, daughter-in-law, Nisuta Patel as well as her 4 grandchildren, Nicolas, Isabel, Olivia and Sofia Manrique.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 23rd, from 4:00 to 7:00pm at Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered, Friday, May 24th, 11:00 am at St. Gabriel’s Historic Church, 549 County Road 520, Marlboro.

For messages of condolence, or to share a favorite memory of Adelina, please visit her page of tribute at www.HolmdelFuneralHome.com.