Nelida Gonzã¡Lez Rey

On Thursday, May 25, 2023 , Nelida G. Rey, devoted wife and cherished mother to her three sons passed away peacefully at the age of 89.

Nelida was born on November 15, 1933 in Gibara, Cuba.

Nelida was married to the love of her life, Roberto Alfonso Rey, for 62 happy years.

Nelida emigrated to the United States from Cuba with her husband and two oldest sons to escape the Cuban Revolution in 1961.

Once in the United States, Nelida and her family moved from place to place in search of opportunity and their permanent home, including Newport News, VA and Parkersburg, WV.

Then the news came that there was a training program for psychiatrists opening at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, GA. The news spread quickly among the Cuban doctors and soon most of those available positions were successfully filled by those Cuban doctors, including Nelida's husband Roberto. Nelida and her family moved to Milledgeville in 1966.

Nelida became an American citizen in 1967. Though she and her family missed their beloved Cuba and their family they left behind, she loved the United States and was always grateful for the new life it gave her, her Husband and her children.

For the next 15 years, Nelida worked as a registered nurse in Milledgeville, first at Baldwin County Hospital, then at Central State Hospital with her husband Roberto.

Nelida, Roberto, and their youngest son, Antonio, moved to Orlando, FL after her husband's retirement in 1984.

Nelida would continue to work as a registered nurse as part of the IV Therapy team in Orlando at Florida Hospital until her retirement. Nelida was a true genius with an IV needle and was regularly requested to handle the most delicate cases such as tending to the needs of a premature child…where she proudly never missed a vein or caused discomfort.

Nelida would live and love in the same home in Orlando for the next 39 years, 34 of those years with Roberto, until his passing in 2016.

Nelida prized family above all else. Nothing made her happier than spending time with her children Roberto, Alfredo, and Antonio, her daughters-in-laws Jacqueline and Kathy, and her grandchildren, Gregg, Antonio, Brody, and Madeleine.

She enjoyed hobbies including cooking for family gatherings, knitting, gardening, ceramics, and sewing. On many occasions she made pajamas for her husband and grandchildren. The clothes for her grandchildren always included notes on the inside saying how much she adored them.

Nelida was preceded in death by her loving Husband, Roberto A. Rey. She is survived by her three sons, Roberto, Alfredo and Antonio Rey, and her grandsons, Gregg (34), Antonio (25), Brody (15) and her granddaughter, Madeleine Rey (8).