Aida M (Aguilar-Diaz) Otero

Of Newton, formerly of Allston, February 21, 2020.  Beloved wife of Ceferino A. Otero.  Devoted mother of Tony Otero & his wife Lesley of Basking Ridge, NJ and Jorge Otero & his wife Melanie of Boca Raton, FL.  Sister of the late Elena and Marina Aguilar.  Loving grandmother of Alex Otero and his fiancé Carli Halper and Ryan Otero.  Aunt of Silvia Guerra and Marta Alonso.  Visiting hours Thursday, February 27th from 4-7pm in the Lehman, Reen, & McNamara Funeral Home.  Funeral Mass in St. Columbkille Church, 321 Market St., Brighton, Friday February 28th at 11:00am.  Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.  Interment private.  

Born in Havana, Cuba, Aida’s life was marked by a spirit of strength that was evident in her deep Catholic faith, her family bonds and her resilience until her last days.

Although Aida lost her father when she was six years old and her mother just before her marriage to her husband Antonio, Aida had the loving care of her older sisters, her uncle and aunts in her upbringing.  She loved the arts, culture and languages as a young girl.  While in high school, she studied English which eventually would lead her to her first job at a department store in Havana where she would assist American tourists visiting the city during its heyday.

She met her husband-to-be Antonio at the age of 21 while attending a banquet.  She would say the minute her eyes met Antonio’s, it was love at first sight.  During the time they dated, and for the years they lived in Cuba, they would take long car rides, driving 50 miles just to try a new beachfront restaurant.  That same desire to take drives carried over in America.  Aida and Antonio would often drive to Newport, Rhode Island, Ogunquit, Maine, the Berkshires, and their local favorites Castle Island in South Boston and Nantasket Beach in Hull. For Aida, there was nothing better than stopping at a fish shack, ordering a cod plate with a ginger ale and eating by the ocean.  Until her last weeks, she would continue this long tradition with Antonio.  

Aida’s biggest pride was her children. As parents of two young boys, Tony and Jorge, Aida and Antonio’s primary concern when fleeing Cuba in 1967 was to find freedom and opportunity for their children.  Those were challenging times in Cuba with great uncertainty. The family tried to leave the country for five years before being granted permission to come to the U.S.  They had to leave everything they had worked for behind, departing with only a few small suitcases. But Aida quickly showed the courage and fearlessness that would permeate her life in tackling these life-changing decisions.  Throughout her life, Aida never shied away from a challenge.  As she would advise Antonio and her sons, “make a decision, put it in God’s hands, and charge forward.”

Aida, Antonio and her sons quickly settled in the Allston neighborhood of Boston.  Aida’s English and her sociable nature helped her quickly make many friends in the neighborhood.  She and Antonio also met many other Cuban Americans and Spaniards throughout Massachusetts, giving them an enormous social circle and support group.  While Antonio quickly found work, Aida ran the household as the best mother and wife anyone could ask for.  She was incredibly loving, caring, and compassionate.  She was strong and she worked nonstop. She made sure to have a very clean home, cook the best Cuban dishes—her arroz con pollo and flan were legendary—and instill discipline in her children while supporting Antonio. She was the backbone of the family for sure.

She would eventually go off to work to help support the family, initially at a Fanny Farmer chocolate factory, and later attended the Jean Cappy Academy to become a beautician specializing in hair and manicures.  For someone like Aida who loved the arts, fashion, and beauty it was a perfect fit.  She enjoyed helping her clients to look their best while showering them with her endearing personality. In return, many would share their most personal thoughts with Aida.  She loved to counsel them based on her life experiences and her ability to empathize.  She was often teased that she should have been a psychologist as a result of the many friends she helped with their personal challenges in life.

For Aida and Antonio, education was the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.  Aida made sure that the children were raised with character, integrity, and discipline.  With her guidance, her two sons gained admission to the famous exam school, the Boston Latin School.  Being the oldest public school in America founded in 1635, Aida could not have been prouder to come from Cuba and see her children quickly ascend under her watch.  Her children would soon proceed to graduate with multiple degrees from prestigious universities like University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the Boston University Graduate School of Management, Cornell University and the Harvard Business School.  Along this journey, she encouraged Antonio to continue his own education.  While working fulltime and going to university at night, Antonio would earn his degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University. 

Aida’s life journey would include two daughters-in-law that would add to her dream.  While Aida had two sons and two grandsons, she wasn’t shy in letting her family know that she would love to have a daughter.  Aida would often say she was blessed to add Lesley and Melanie to the family in their marriages to Tony and Jorge.  Lesley and Melanie filled the family circle in Aida’s life with their mutual love and care.

Aida’s dreams were being realized.  She even had the joy to see her grandchildren graduate from Yale University and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.  As her children, grandchildren, and husband meant everything to her, Aida felt blessed that she was living the American Dream.  Aida was extremely humble.  But none of this was possible in the family without her strength, character, and guidance.

Throughout Aida’s life, she was dedicated to her faith. Her Catholic upbringing gave her tremendous strength to never fear the unknown.  She was compassionate, kind, caring, and selfless. She loved her collection of many Catholic medals, statues, books, and pictures. She loved her Bible. She prayed every day and night.  She was a fixture for many years at St. Anthony Parish in Allston and then St. Columbkille Parish in Brighton.  With this faith, she brought light to her family and friends up until her last moments.

While Aida will be missed, her memories and spirit will shine brightly forever.  Her legacy will continue to inspire her family and friends.

As her loving family, we want her to know, “Your life journey has been remarkable and selfless. You made our family who we are today despite the incredible challenges you faced.  For this we say thank you.  For this we say we love you.  For this we say you will never be forgotten. For this, Amen and God bless.”

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