Mrs. Orihuela was born in Ybor City, Florida on March 3rd, 1918 to Carlos “Charlie” and Juana “Mimi” Valdez, both of Key West, Florida. She was one of two children, her sister Olga Calafell proceeded her in passing. Mrs. Orihuela would go on to marry Enrique Orihuela, of Havana, Cuba, and raise two girls, Coralia “Carol” Rao and Vilma Douglas. She had a blessed and long life, she was able to travel to Spain with her sister, fulfilling a life-long ambition to see her motherland and the town that carried her family’s name. Mrs. Orihuela devoted her career to her work as a beautician, a profession she practiced and loved for most of her life. She would spend her retirement still cutting hair and helping to raise her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Orihuela loved her family and her friends unconditionally, and they loved her just the same. Her family and friends made her an active part of their lives, despite her humility and the many attempts she made to not draw attention to herself. Mrs. Orihuela was also proud of her heritage and of her home town, she saw Tampa grow from a small community to a thriving city.
Mrs. Orihuela is also survived by her five grandchildren; Dennis Colado, Tara Lewis, Shari Courtney, Kevin Saladino, Ehrin Saladino, and eight great-grandchildren; Laura Ann Colado, Teresa Colado, Jimmy Lewis, Mateo Lewis, Jenna Courtney, Sarah Colado, Evelyn Saladino and Violet Saladino. She was a good Christian, wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, abuela and truly an inspiration to all that knew her. She did indeed live her life as if the world were the way it should be, to show us what it could be. She was well loved, and will be missed.
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