Beatriz Gallup

Beatriz Cañedo Gallup, 85, of New Hartford passed from this life on May 18th at Danbury Hospital during a heart procedure. Her son was with her in her last waking moments. Prior to moving in with her son in 2019, Beatriz and her husband Byron were longtime residents of Southbury, and both were active in the community through various activities. Beatriz is survived by her son Mario Gutierrez and granddaughter Amalia, both of whom were also longtime Southbury residents, as well as a stepson, Douglas Gallup of Tampa, Florida.

Beatriz was born in Havana, Cuba on June 3rd of 1936. She came to the US as a political refugee in 1961 shortly after Fidel Castro’s rise to power -- making the difficult trip while pregnant with what was to be her only child. Her father, Dr. Ruben Cañedo, was one of the most noted cardiac specialists on the island, yet Beatriz was politically active in her home country prior to the onset of the revolution despite her family’s socio-economic status. She was a constant champion for human rights who would later spend many years writing letters of hope to political prisoners around the world for Amnesty International. She arrived in America with less than $5 to her name, yet managed to not only survive, but thrive in her new home. She would eventually take the test and become a full citizen of the US.

Beatriz worked in the paper industry for over 20 years, owned and ran a wine shop in Stamford, and pursued many hobbies including gardening and travel. Her love for her husband Byron knew no bounds, and his passing in 2020 was the most difficult period in her life. Both Beatriz and Byron will be remembered by their many friends in Southbury, Woodbury, and in many other countries as true and honest friends, and as people who chose to love life, the world, and all the people around them. Their loss is keenly felt in a time where many people would rather focus on differences than similarities.

A memorial service for both Beatriz and Byron will be held at Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, 235 Main Street North, Southbury on June 24th with visitation hours from 10-12 to be followed by a gathering of friends at Nouveau Monde in Sandy Hook from 12-3. Beatriz was a decades long survivor of breast cancer and would welcome donations to the Susan G. Komen cancer fund in lieu of flowers.

To leave an online condolence for the family please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com

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