Caridad Paulina Gamboa

1932 - 2023

CARIDAD Key West, FL - BEAVERS PAULINA (GAMBOA) BEAVERS Caridad Paulina Gamboa (Beavers) was born on 11 March 1932 in Manzanillo, Oriente, Cuba to Adriano Gamboa and Paulina Torres and passed peacefully out of this life on her 91st birthday. Preceding her in death were her parents, and all 13 of her siblings, her son Alexander Manuel Naranjo, her niece Modesta Corzo Mola and her husband Emory Donald Beavers.

She is survived by her daughter Maria Elena Naranjo (Phillip Pierce), her three (3) grandchildren: Christina M Pierce (Neal Birmingham), Phillip D Pierce, Jr (Amy Pierce) and Alexandra C. Naranjo (Terrance Moore) and her four (4) great-grandchildren: Patrick Birmingham, Morgan Pierce, Terrance Moore, Jr., and Nathaniel Moore as well as her great-nieces Aliucha Corzo Mola and Sarai Corzo Mola (Manuel).

Abuela came to the United States on Feb 1, 1958, and became a Naturalized Citizen on Jul 8, 1969. She lived in Key West and was a member of the El Salvador Methodist Church then Key West United Methodist Church and often attended 5th Street Baptist Church. She worked as a live-in maid, a cook at the hospital, a nurse's aide at the Nursing home, and lastly a private duty nurse to elderly ladies who needed a night/day companion. In the last few years and up until the last moment, Aunt Starr Norris became a pseudo nurse companion to her. We are forever grateful to Aunt Starr for her love and care to Abuela.

Abuela loved to cook, sew, garden, dance, travel, and bowl. When we were kids, we learned to play cards, bowl, and dance. She never let us win. Winning was not a given, winning as in life was earned.

Our greatest wish is that the first person she met in heaven was her mother who died when she was 41 days old. She lived an exceptionally long and varied life. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

Services will be held on March 25, 1pm at the Key West United Methodist Church. Graveside services will be held after at the Southern Keys Cemetery in Big Coppitt. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Key West United Methodist Church - Methodist children's home.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Dean-Lopez Funeral Home. To leave an online condolence, visit the memorial tribute page on the Dean-Lopez Funeral Home website.