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Due to the current guidelines regarding public gatherings because of the COVID-19 virus and safety concerns, please use good judgment in determining the length of your visit or if you should attend. If six feet of social distancing is not maintained then masks are required for the visitation and service. There will be no congregating in the parking lot.
Florencio “Floyd” Alvarez of Milford, Indiana passed away unexpectedly from complications due to Covid-19 at 10:42 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2020 at Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne, Indiana at the age of 75.
He was born on June 21, 1945 in Veracruz, Mexico to Maria Piedad Garcia Gomez and Faustino Alvarez. He grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, and throughout his life he moved around with his family and lived in Harlingen, Mission and McAllen, Texas. While living in Harlingen he went to school and he finished the tenth grade and then spent his ENTIRE life learning. He was never afraid of a hard day’s work, for many years he made his living as a migrant farm worker. One lucky day while picking berries in Berrien Springs, Michigan he met Adela Casarez, she too was working as a migrant farm worker. At the age of 22 he married the love of his life and best friend on April 20, 1968 in Mission, Texas. They raised three beautiful daughters and shared 52 years of marriage together before he passed away.
In 1970 Adela and Florencio moved to Milford, Indiana where they finally called it home. He worked for many years at Smoker Craft in New Paris, Indiana and eventually was hired at Zimmer, Inc. in Warsaw, Indiana. Floyd was reliable, punctual and a detail-oriented person and proudly spent 27 years working for Zimmer in investment casting and retired in 2015. He provided for his family and made many friends through his work over the years. Florencio was also a familiar voice for many years on the radio, every Sunday evening from 7-9 pm he used to be a co-host DJ for WRSW 107.3 for the areas first weekly latino music hour and he was always very proud to be a part of that endeavor.
He was never one to sit still, he liked to work on cars, his tractors and was a great handyman, finishing many household projects over the years. His daughters and wife could never resist feeding the squirrels and stray cats and over the years he became quite the architect building shelters for the backyard stray cats. He had a love/hate relationship with the Dallas Cowboys, he and his wife enjoyed going to the casino and he never tired of watching westerns on TV. Florencio was passionate about politics and he was not shy about being a huge Trump supporter and was proud to have voted before he passed away. Florencio was always available to give advice and lend a helping hand to those in need. He had a caring heart and made it a point to see the good in people. He was a father figure to many and his daughters thought the world of him and said “we were lucky to have had him as our father.” Floyd was a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be dearly missed and forever loved by his family.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Adela Alvarez (Milford, Indiana); three daughters: Maria (Pat) McDonald (Syracuse, Indiana); Patricia Alvarez (Milford, Indiana) and her fiancé, Matthew Stormer (Warsaw, Indiana); Silvia Alvarez and her fiancé, Mike Rizzo (Rochester Hills, Michigan); and his former son-in-law: Daniel Garcia (Indianapolis, Indiana). He leaves behind his favorite grandson: Luke Garcia (Indianapolis, Indiana) and his favorite granddaughter: Marina Rizzo (Rochester Hills, Michigan). Also surviving are many nieces and nephews; his, mother, Maria Piedad Garcia Gomez (California); brother: Faustino Alvarez, Jr. (Matamoros, Mexico); and his sister: Hilda Guajardo (San Benito, Texas). He was preceded in death by his father, Faustino Alvarez, step-father, Tony Gomez, two sisters, Romy Alvarez and Maria Elena Castandeda.
Visitation will be held from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana. Florencio’s life will be celebrated with a service following visitation at 5:00 p.m. and officiated by Miro Rodriguez. Burial will take place at a later date in Milford Cemetery, Milford, Indiana. Per the family’s request masks are required by all who will be in attendance for the visitation and service.
Memorial donations may be directed to Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County, 1048 S. 325 W., Pierceton, Indiana 46562 and would be appreciated by the family.
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