Jose Antonio Boza Camejo

José Antonio Boza, of Miami Dade County, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, September 1, 2025. He was blessed to live 95 years!

José Antonio was the oldest of seven children, born to the late Antonio Boza and Maria Boza Camejo Abreu on February 20, 1930 in Mantua, Cuba. His parents registered him as being born on March 20, 1930 as reflected on his birth certificate.

As a boy, José Antonio liked to play marbles. His strategic and precise shooting of the marble and his offensive and defensive skills were evident at his young age. He often won and successfully collected most of the marbles from the other boys in the neighborhood. However, his games were frequently interrupted by household chores. From a young age, José Antonio took the role of a leader in his home in order to help his mother and siblings while his father worked. He loved his siblings: Tato (Antonio), La Niña (Elsa), Tony, Bebi (Basila), Jesus and Dinora. He dearly loved and honored his parents: Mima and Toño!

José Antonio valued education! He was advanced in his studies. He loved mathematics, had a passion for poetry, and mastered grammatical skills. He successfully completed high school in a span of two years. However, at the age of 16, he decided to put his education on hold to work at a restaurant to help his family financially and moved from Mantua to Guane, Pinar del Rio.

While in Guane, José Antonio met Nicolas and Aracelis, a married couple who welcomed him into their home and family. Nicolas took him under his wing and gave him a job fixing radios. José Antonio was an astute learner and quickly learned the skills of electronics and the internal mechanical components in order to fix radios. He added to his electrical skills by mastering how to fix refrigerators and restored/recycled car batteries as a means to support his family. He was a man of humor and came up with a jingle for his business: "Boza Batteries – they start up in Guane and turn off in Mendoza (approximately 11 miles)." In his life, he was an accomplished landscaper, repairer, mechanic, business owner, and builder.

It was through Nicolas and Aracelis that José Antonio met the love of his life, Delfina Martin, whom he dearly called Cachi. This was the beginning of their love story. However, in 1947, at the age of 17, he joined the Batista army as a means of providing for his family in Mantua. This delayed their marriage plans, but God had a special plan for José Antonio and Cachi.

On April 6, 1957, José Antonio married his precious bride, Cachi. Shortly after their wedding, they moved to Havana, but later moved back to Pinal del Rio. Two years later, during the Castro Revolution, José Antonio, as part of the Batista army, was taken away by communist orders. At this time, Cachi was in the hospital ready to deliver their first child. However, during this upheaval and throughout this confusing and agonizing situation, she was not being monitored by the hospital staff and they lost their full term baby boy. However, God was merciful and gracious. On April 3, 1961, they were blessed with a baby girl, Ileana. Then, four years later on August 14, 1965, they welcomed their second baby girl, Maira.

On April 28, 1971, José Antonio bravely migrated from the country and family that he loved and immigrated to the United States of America with his wife and daughters to seek the promise of freedom and liberty. He was a man of strength and courage! He immediately challenged himself to learn the English language while working in factories to provide for his family in the United States and Cuba. He stepped into the role of a father figure for his siblings and passionately worked to rescue them and to free them from Cuba. For years, he labored relentlessly, filed numerous forms, and even personally met with the Senator of Florida to advocate for his family. He then provided the financial means to bring his parents and the entire family to freedom in the United States! He was a man of passion and fervor and made his dream come true! He considered it an honor and a privilege to become a citizen of the U.S.; the greatest country on earth under God.

José Antonio was a man who created and molded his life with his hands. He wasn't afraid to work hard or take on any obstacle that stood in the way of his family. He was dependable and loyal. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and give generously to others. He was a provider, an innovator, and a man of conviction! He was passionate and determined. He was gentle and full of love! His mind was always active. He was enjoyed the challenge of fixing mechanical issues, or when confronted with obstacles. He took a computer class and learned how to use and fix computers. In his later years, he owned a fence and landscaping company and when not working, you could find him fixing or tinkering with his work equipment. In his spare time, he enjoyed crabbing, bee keeping, and kite flying. He had a passion for kites and often constructed his own kites from fabric and wood. He flew them so high in the sky that they looked like small spots in the sun. He always looked forward to Noche Buena and spent the entire day roasting the pork on his self-made caja china. Delicious!

He always had a song on his heart and on his lips. He would often be heard whistling or warmly humming a song and filled his home with joyful music. He was also a poet and had a way with words. His intelligence often showed through his sharp mind and a silver tongue. He was witty and quick with a either a kind word or sharp criticism. Every conversation with him usually ended in a grammatical lesson.

The greatest joy and love in his life was Cachi, the most beautiful rose in his garden. He showered her with love and constantly reminded her of her beauty. Their love for one another endured many hardships and many wonderful memories. However, hand in hand they celebrated every victory and confronted every obstacle. They continually praised the Lord in every situation. Their love story allowed them to celebrate 64 years of marriage. What a blessing!

José Antonio loved his daughters Ileana and Maira! He was the foundation of strength, humility, forgiveness, gentleness and love! He empowered them and encouraged them to dream and work hard. His sweet and gentle eyes and smile reminded them that they could approach him in any situation. His cup overflowed with encouragement and wisdom. He was a gentle giant with a heart of gold!

Most importantly, José Antonio loved the Lord Jesus Christ! He would tell us that as a child, he professed his love for Jesus and asked Him into his heart. He and his lovely wife took a step of obedience and were both baptized at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Coral Park.

José Antonio is survived by his daughters: Ileana (Angel) Cobo and Maira (Dean) Chung. He also is survived by his grandchildren: Lauren, Jonathan, Nicole, Leah, Stefan, Nathan and Karis, as well as, his great grandchildren: Madelyn, Gabriel, Micah, and Sarai. Furthermore, his siblings: Antonio Maria Boza and Dinora Boza. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

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In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made out to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital - Memorial Gift. Insert the dedication name: Jose Antonio Boza. Notification type: email an E-card to deanandmaira@gmail.com

José Antonio Boza, del condado de Miami-Dade, falleció pacíficamente en su hogar el lunes, 1 de septiembre de 2025. ¡Fue bendecido con 95 años de vida! José Antonio fue el mayor de siete hermanos, hijo de los difuntos Antonio Boza y María Boza Camejo Abreu, nacido el 20 de febrero de 1930 en Mantua, Cuba. Sus padres lo inscribieron como nacido el 20 de marzo de 1930, tal como figura en su certificado de nacimiento.

De niño, a José Antonio le gustaba jugar a las chinatas. Su tiro estratégico y preciso, junto con sus habilidades ofensivas y defensivas, eran evidentes desde temprana edad. A menudo ganaba y lograba quedarse con la mayoría de las chinatas de los otros niños del barrio. Sin embargo, sus juegos eran interrumpidos con frecuencia por los quehaceres del hogar. Desde muy joven, José Antonio asumió el papel de líder en su casa para ayudar a su madre y a sus hermanos mientras su padre trabajaba. Amaba a sus hermanos: Tato (Antonio), La Niña (Elsa), Tony, Bebi (Basila), Jesús y Dinora. Amó entrañablemente y honró a sus padres: ¡Mima y Toño!

¡José Antonio valoraba la educación! Iba adelantado en sus estudios. Amaba las matemáticas, tenía pasión por la poesía y dominó la gramática. Completó la escuela secundaria en un lapso de dos años. Sin embargo, a los 16 años decidió poner en pausa sus estudios para trabajar en un restaurante y ayudar económicamente a su familia, mudándose de Mantua a Guane, Pinar del Río.

Mientras estuvo en Guane, José Antonio conoció a Nicolás y Aracelis, un matrimonio que lo recibió en su hogar y en su familia. Nicolás lo tomó bajo su tutela y le dio trabajo arreglando radios. José Antonio fue un aprendiz agudo y aprendió rápidamente las destrezas de la electrónica y los componentes mecánicos internos para reparar radios. Amplió sus habilidades eléctricas al dominar la reparación de refrigeradores. También se dedicó a restaurar y reciclar baterias de autos como medio para sostener a su familia. Era un hombre con sentido del humor y creó una consigna para su negocio: "Alternador Boza: arrancan en Guane y se apagan en Mendoza (aproximadamente a 11 millas)". En su vida, fue un paisajista, reparador, mecánico, dueño de negocio, constructor y más.

Fue por medio de Nicolás y Aracelis que José Antonio conoció al amor de su vida, Delfina Martín, a quien cariñosamente llamaba Cachi. Así comenzó su historia de amor. Sin embargo, en 1947, a los 17 años, se unió al ejército de Batista como medio para proveer a su familia en Mantua. Esto retrasó sus planes de matrimonio, pero Dios tenía un plan especial para José Antonio y Cachi.

El 6 de abril de 1957, José Antonio se casó con su preciosa novia, Cachi. Poco después de su boda, se mudaron a La Habana, pero luego regresaron a Pinar del Río. Dos años más tarde, durante la Revolución de Castro, José Antonio, por ser parte del ejército de Batista, fue apresado por órdenes comunistas. En ese momento, Cachi estaba en el hospital lista para dar a luz a su primer hijo. Sin embargo, durante aquel turbulento, confuso y doloroso episodio, no estaba siendo atendida por el personal del hospital y perdieron a su bebé varón a término. No obstante,