Camilo G. Farinas

Camilo Gregorio Farinas Santiago of Burtonsville, MD, beloved husband of the late Aileen Farinas entered eternal life on March 23, 2023 at the age of 91. He will be fondly remembered by his family, co-workers, and friends for his kind spirit, great generosity, heart-warming smile, and fierce work ethic.

He was born in Havana, Cuba on November 28, 1932, the middle of three boys, to the late Carmen Santiago Ures and Camilo Farinas. He was pre-deceased by his elder brother Antonio of Miami, FL and his younger brother Manolo, a Jesuit brother of the Dominican Republic.

At the age of 20, he and his mother were provided the opportunity to come to the District of Columbia by the Ambassador to Cuba where he would work as a butler at the Cuban Embassy. In 1956, he would marry the great love of his life Aileen Femig, an American and native Washingtonian. Although he spoke little English at the time, she once said she knew he would be the man she would marry when first meeting him. They remained devoted to one another for nearly 62 years until her passing in 2018.

In the early 1950s, he became an American citizen of the United States. In 1957, he would start work as a chauffer and clerk at the Office of the Government of Puerto Rico (more recently Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration), and continued working there until his retirement 30 years later. Upon retiring, he received numerous accolades for his dedication, loyalty, and service: “What you have accomplished as a public servant, in your most challenging quest to always do your best job, has been an inspiration to all who dream and hope for a better Puerto Rico. All of these characteristics with which God has so amply blessed you will form part of your legacy to your son.” And they surely did. He further received the Manuel A. Perez prize, an award bestowed by the Commonwealth Government for distinguished public service during his tenure.

While acting as a chauffeur, he drove for some of the most important people of Puerto Rico including such performing arts luminaries as Rita Moreno, Raul Julia, and Justino Diaz. On Saturdays, Camilo moonlighted as a cab driver in the District of Columbia, a job he maintained for decades, in a city for which he had a GPS-like familiarity. He deeply cherished and enjoyed engaging his passengers in spirited conversations during a time when people were not pre-occupied by their cell phones.

Camilo was strongly guided by his Christian faith. He became born again during a local Billy Graham tour, was an avid follower of the Puerto Rican evangelist Yiye Avila, and was a member of the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, MD which he and Aileen faithfully attended every Sunday. He was known for his great generosity and humanity, forwarding money to family members and close friends who continued to live in Cuba long after he had left the country. He would send dollar bills to numerous charities whenever he received a solicitation in the mail.

Camilo and Aileen travelled extensively in their retirement including two cruises to the Bahamas, and trips to Key West, Germany, England, Ireland, and to Spain on two occasions. In 1998, they travelled to Cuba as part of Pope John Paul the II’s historic pilgrimage to the country. Some of their favorite trips included those to New York City where they saw numerous Broadway shows, and to Miami where they visited his brother Antonio, his sister in law “Cachita,” his nephew Jose (“Tonito”), Jose’s wife Marlene, and his children Melissa, Michael, and Melinda.

He maintained an active and healthy life well into his 80’s which included painting the interior and exterior of his home, watching masses from Resurrection Church taped during COVID, feeding the squirrels and birds, or driving with Aileen to a movie, restaurant, or shopping mall in “mommy’s car.” Camilo was a genuinely happy and blessed man who led a wonderful life which was firmly grounded in his Catholic faith.

He will be deeply missed and treasured by his devoted son Mark of Columbia, MD, his nephew Jose Farinas and wife Marlene of Miami, FL, their children Melissa, Michael, and Melinda, as well as his work-family, friends, and neighbors.

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