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2020 SPECIAL SESSION I

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20200629D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 511 Offered August 18, 2020 Prefiled August 17, 2020 Celebrating the life of Benito Loyola, Sr. ----------
Patrons-- Davis, Adams, D.M., Avoli, Batten, Brewer, Carr, Cole, J.G., Cole, M.L., Guzman, Hope, Knight, Kory, Miyares, Rasoul, Simonds, Tyler and Ware
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WHEREAS, Benito Loyola, Sr., an entrepreneur, small business owner, and a beloved husband and father, died on July 24, 2020; and

WHEREAS, a native of Cuba, Benito Loyola attended the Cuban Naval Academy and joined the Cuban Navy in the 1950s; he continued to serve after the Cuban Revolution and was deployed to Africa alongside Soviet forces; and

WHEREAS, while on his second such deployment, Benito Loyola decided to flee the Communist regime and mutinied along with three other officers; despite being captured and sentenced to death, he escaped again and made it to Europe by hiding in the cargo hold of a freighter; and

WHEREAS, Benito Loyola was granted political asylum in the United States and provided vital intelligence on Cuban and Soviet military operations; he established a small business in Hoboken, New Jersey, and secretly sent money to his family in Cuba until they were able to escape two years later; and

WHEREAS, Benito Loyola subsequently relocated to Miami, where he opened a plumbing business with his wife as secretary and his children helping out during the summers; and

WHEREAS, Benito Loyola shared his passion for lifelong learning with young people as a school administrator, serving as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools for many years; and

WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Benito Loyola enjoyed fellowship and worship with the congregation of St. Timothy Catholic Church, where he was ordained as a deacon in 1993; and

WHEREAS, Benito Loyola will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his loving wife of 61 years, Teresa; his children, Benito Loyola, Jr., of Virginia Beach and Lilliam Solis, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Benito Loyola, Sr., a patriotic American who made many contributions to his community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Benito Loyola, Sr., as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.