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Columbia matriarch lit the way with love
© St. Petersburg Times TAMPA -- The last time I saw Adela Gonzmart she was holding a torch as part of a ceremony to celebrate the Columbia Restaurant's new kitchen. I was struck by that image after learning her son Richard paraphrased a George Bernard Shaw quote at her funeral Monday, saying life was no brief candle for Adela, but a splendid torch she got to hold for a moment before passing it on to future generations. The 81 years of Adela Gonzmart -- Columbia matriarch, classically trained pianist, philanthropist and devoted wife and mother -- were celebrated Monday, three days after she passed from a short illness. Though I was unable to attend, friends were so moved by the heartwarming ceremony they called to give a recount of the service. More than 1,000 people were at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, and they couldn't help but notice the dozen Florida Highway Patrol troopers who joined Adela's longtime friend, Col. Christopher Knight from Tallahassee. While relatives filled at least eight pews in the church, there also was a long list of dignitaries: U.S. Rep. Jim Davis; Mayor Dick Greco and wife Linda McClintock-Greco; City Council members Bob Buckhorn, Mary Alvarez and Charlie Miranda; judges E.J. Salcines and Jack Espinosa Jr.; former Florida governor Bob Martinez; attorneys Ralph Fernandez and Frank de la Grana and Ybor City patriarch Fernando Mesa. An underlying theme of the service was Adela Gonzmart's compassion for all. Monsignor Lawrence Higgins, who presided over the service, said Gonzmart could walk with kings and emperors, but was friends with everyone. He described her as "the queen of Ybor City and all the town." Mayor Greco gave an impromptu speech filled with praise for Adela. He said she could have had 5-million restaurants, but would have been the same person. He said she was liked by everyone. "She treated everyone in the neighborhood like they were her own children," Greco said. "She loved her heritage and where she came from." Casey Gonzmart, one of the two sons who helped run the chain of restaurants, gave a tear-filled speech, recalling how his mother brought him chicken soup because he was ill just two days before she entered the hospital. He remembered her as someone always more interested in others than herself. Her son Richard said that interest often manifested itself in charitable acts. Years ago, Adela chose a University of South Florida student and paid for her education. That student is now earning a doctorate degree at the University of Miami. Most of all, everyone said Adela would want her death to be a day of celebration instead of a day of mourning. The timing of her passing, so close to Christmas, might seem disheartening to some. Yet Adela's love of family means that in subsequent years, her relatives will be together for the holidays when they remember her. And they will celebrate. - Ernest Hooper can be reached at 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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Times columns today Jan Glidewell John Romano Ernest Hooper From the Times Metro desks Ernest Hooper |
