Marta Lastres of Hinsdale died Jan. 27, 2025.
Marta was born in Manzanillo, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States in 1953.
Marta was devoted to family, faith and country. Over the years, she opened her home to family and immigrants from Cuba and helped them find homes, enroll their children in school and find work. She was a longtime parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish in Melrose Park and later St. Francis Xavier in La Grange. Marta was grateful for the opportunity to become a U.S. citizen, but never ceased hoping and praying for a free Cuba. She was an active member of the Cuban Medical Association of Chicago in Exile. She was an avid lover of classical music, poetry, and of course, a good cafecito.
Marta was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Dr. Osvaldo Lastres; her siblings, Dr. Hector Leon, Jose Emilio Leon and Emilio O. Leon; and her sister-in-law, Maria Leon.
She is survived by her brother, Eduardo Leon, her son, Dr. Oswaldo (Dr. Susan Nedza) Lastres of Hinsdale; her grandchildren, Gabriela Lastres (Benjamin Antillon) and Daniel Lastres; her nieces and nephews, Rick Lastres, Pepe (Erin) Lastres, James (Cathy) Lastres, Eduardo Leon, Tricia Leon, Julio Leon, Remy Leon, Martha (Pedro) Alvarez, Martha Leon (René) Martinez, Ofelia (Jeff Foreman) Franco and René (Miriam) Franco.
Visitation is at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 3, at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 124 N. Spring Ave., La Grange. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m.
Entombment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made online to the Cuban Heritage Collection, The University of Miami Richter Library at http://www.library.miami.edu/chc/makeagift.html.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
