Hilda Caridad Fong Prieto

November 18, 1945 – August 13, 2026 Hilda Caridad Fong Prieto, lovingly known to most as Mama or Caruca, passed away on August 13, 2026, leaving behind a family whose lives were shaped by her love, her strength, and the countless ways she cared for the people around her. Hilda was born on November 18, 1945, in San Nicolás de Bari, La Habana, Cuba, to Luis Aníbal Fong and Maria Severina Fong. She grew up alongside her six siblings, Luis, Claribel, Aníbal, Pedro, Ninetta, and Aleida.She was the wife of Luis Prieto and the devoted mother of Luis, Lester, and Janette Prieto. But her role as a mother never stopped there. She became a second home, a source of comfort, and a steady presence for her seven grandchildren: Desiree, Alyssa, Ashlee, Louis, Andrea, Louis, and Alexandra. She cared for and helped raise them all, giving each of them a piece of her time, her patience, her traditions, and her heart. For her family, Mama was often the one who brought everyone together in her home. She loved a full house, a table surrounded by the people she loved, and the feeling of having everyone close. She showed her love in the most tangible ways, through good food, through taking pictures of everyone, through celebrations, and through simply being there. She cooked for her family, made sure no one was ever left hungry, and was also known especially for her black beans every Noche Buena. A tradition that became synonymous with the holidays and something that brought everyone back to the same table year after year. Mama loved to dance. She loved to travel and eat good, capturing the places she visited and the moments she wanted to remember. She loved shopping, getting dressed up, and looking her best, always with the chicest accessories. But above everything else, Mama loved her family. She spent much of her life caring for others. She was there for birthdays, holidays, first words or first steps, for the ordinary days and difficult ones, for meals around the table filled with laughter and moments that may not have seemed important at the time but became memories her family would carry forever To her grandchildren, she was more than a grandmother. She was someone who helped raise them, someone they could count on, and someone whose presence became woven into the fabric of their childhoods. Mama leaves behind a family who will miss her deeply, but who will also continue to find her in the things she left behind: around a crowded dinner table, in an old photograph, in a favorite holiday tradition, in the sound of music and dancing, and especially in the moments when family comes together. Her life was built around the people she loved. And that love will continue through all of them. She is survived by her husband, Luis Prieto; her children, Luis, Lester, and Janette Prieto; and her seven grandchildren, Desiree, Alyssa, Ashlee, Louis, Andrea, Louis, and Alexandra. She was preceded in death by her beloved siblings, Luis, Claribel, Aníbal, Pedro, Ninetta, and Aleida, making Hilda the last of the seven siblings to pass. Mama, you were the heart of our family. And you always will be.