Dear Ines, I have in my genealogy a Francisco De Armas who married Norma Urbay in La Habana in the late fifties/early sixties. Did you ever hear of this couple? Best regards, Jean-Pierre Marill Hamburg, Germany > Surnames: De Armas in Havana, Miami, Newark > > Dear Ms. De Armas, > > I knew a Roberto De Armas. He was like an uncle to me. He and my uncle, > Jose ("Pepin") Owen e Hierrezuelo, had a business in Havana, in which they > rebuild furniture, decorated people's homes, etc. Mr. De Armas has > considerable artistic talent. He is red-haired. He was about 32 when I > was a child, in the mid-sixties, so he would be about 67 years old today. > > He and a few bachelor friends of my father and mother would frequent our > home (well, OK, they were like my parent's adopted over-age children and we > were hoping to marry them off). The latest (I hope it was not the last) > time I saw him he was married to a raven-haired, green-eyed Cuban beauty. > > He lived in Newark, New Jersey. If you find him, please say hello to him > for me. Please let him know that my mom, OFELIA OWEN e HIERREZUELO, has > gone on to a better life at a young age several years ago. I am still in > touch with the Hierrezuelo family, though. > > Tell him that I remember taping his beautiful voice singing with my mother > and also listening to him with my auntie, ROSA DELIA OWEN e HIERREZUELO, > singing boleros and tangos and attracting the whole neighborhood to our > block. If you know about tango and singing, this is not an mundane > talent! Legend had it that his voice held the hurt of a broken heart, from > his youth. He did not deny it. > > I did meet a De Armas, an attorney, and asked him whether or not he was > related to Roberto De Armas, but he did not seem to remember him. I told > him about how we called him "Colorin" for his red hair, how his mom lived > in Miami and he visited her often, how he was quite a Bohemian. He > answered: "Bohemian?! Yes, that sounds like a De Armas. We probably are > related." > > Mr. Roberto De Armas is quite outspoken, in fact, he and my mother always > wanted to start a movement wherein they could vote AGAINST candidates > rather than always FOR candidates. He also got along famously with my > mother's brother, his business partner, who could also be rebellious, > especially when asked to do guard/security duty on his block in order to > maintain his business. He was willing to lose his business rather than > walk around snooping on the neighbors, after the Revolution and lived in > Cuba as a "freelance interior decorator". "Colorin", (Roberto De Armas), > came to the United States and made signs, created graphic decoration, etc. > > He sure spent enough time with our family to be more than just an honorary > member. We also loved his sense of humor and his love of politics, > although he never did like any particular candidate for political office. > > Just a note to let you know that you may be related to a musically > talented, artistically talented, very funny at times, very caring man and > very loving son. I hope you find him. If you do, give him my e-mail > address. My brother, father and I would love to speak with him again. > > Cordially, > Ines Diaz-Owen >