Lidia M. "Lili" Gamble

Lidia “Lili” Maria Gamble, born on March 27, 1950, in Havana, Cuba, passed away peacefully on December 15, 2024. She was 74 years old. Lili was the beloved daughter of Maria Magdalena Linaje and Ibrahim de Cardenas. Tragically, at a young age, she lost her father, who was a pilot, in a plane crash. 

On August 17, 1960, Lidia and Elizabeth were sent to the United States through Catholic Charities during the Operation of Pedro Pan arriving without their parents. The sisters lived in a Catholic nunnery and later in foster care, facing the challenges of a new life in a foreign country. Lidia graduated from the Academy of Holy Names in 1967 in Tampa, Florida before beginning her adult life. 

At 18, Lidia met and married Jesus de Urquiza, a Jai Alai player, and together they had three children: Aitor de Urquiza (Maria), Lorea Sanders (Kevin) and Saioa de Urquiza. While their marriage ended in divorce, Lidia and Jesus remained on good terms. 

Lidia worked as an ICU/PACU nurse for over 30 years, dedicating her career to caring for others. In the Summer of 2000 Lidia relocated to Orlando, Florida, where she worked and lived peacefully in her later years until retirement. Lidia had a goal of obtaining her Bachelors in Nursing and she did so and graduated with her BSN in 2011 as she worked. In 2019, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, which she faced with strength and grace. Lidia will be remembered for her resilience, kindness, and devotion to her family. Her legacy includes four grandsons; Phoenix (Haleigh), Dallas, Hudson Sanders and Omari de Urquiza. She has three granddaughters; twins Sophia and Isabel de Urquiza and Brooklyn Sanders. She has a great-granddaughter Laurel and a great-grandson, Pierce who brought her immense joy in her later years. 

Lidia is preceded in death by her parents, her father, Ibrahim de Cardenas, and her mother, Maria Magdalena Linaje Martinez, step-father Felix Martinez and her niece Sandra Kristine Tejera. She is survived by her sister Elizabeth (Juan) Tejera, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her niece Tania Reynardus (Jorge), extended family members and friends who will remember her with love. 

A memorial service will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church on January 11, at 1:00 pm, where family and friends are invited to celebrate Lidia’s life and the indelible impact she had on all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to American Cancer Society.

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