Family Announces Funeral Services for George Cabrera, co-producer of Cuban-American play ‘Amparo’ and business consultant

MIAMI, FL - February 3, 2022 - (NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE) - Funeral services for producer and business consultant George Cabrera, who passed away from heart-related complications at age 44, will be held Friday, February 4 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Miami. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery.

Viewing is scheduled for Thursday, February 3, starting at 6 p.m., at Maspons Funeral Home in Miami.

Cabrera served in many roles and impacted many lives in a career spanning more than two decades. Most notably, he was the CEO of his own firm, Cabrera Cabrera Consulting Group, a national multi-services company that he launched in July 2017. His clients, past and present, included The Seed School of Miami, the Latin Builders Association, the Small Business Administration and the Roxy Theatre Group.

Cabrera was a financial expert who helped businesses and organizations reach their full potential. He was especially passionate about his work as a producer, bringing the performing arts and entertainment to communities. In this field, he was most proud of “The Amparo Experience,” an immersive musical about Cuban rum makers who lost everything after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959. The play became a major hit in Miami, running for an unprecedented nine months – from March to November 2019 - with more than 250 sold-out performances.

As the son and grandson of Cuban exiles, Cabrera felt a special connection to a show that transported audiences to 1957 Havana on the cusp of the Cuban Revolution. For George, it was the story of his family and of countless other families that were ousted from their homeland during a communist takeover.

“His dedication to his work, colleagues, and all who knew him was incredible and inspiring,” said Jim Kierstead, a Tony, Emmy, Olivier-winning producer who worked with Cabrera during the play. “He will be missed greatly by all of us in the entertainment world as we have not only lost a wonderful colleague, but a dear friend.”

Most recently, Cabrera was involved with the creators of “Not Ready For Prime Time,” a play about the original Saturday Night Live cast. Originally set for January, production was postponed due to COVID concerns. Cabrera was determined to mount the production, and see it tour nationally, said Erik Rodriguez, the play’s co-author.

“He was an artist’s producer. He knew, first and foremost, how important art is,” said Rodriguez, who lives in Miami. “He felt like it was his duty to bring that art to his community and to the world. You hold on to producers like that. I just wish we could’ve held on to him longer.”

Still in his prime, Cabrera had a long list of accomplishments that would make anyone feel proud. In 2012, he was tapped to lead a major education-focused non-profit organization that helps at-risk youngsters. He was the youngest CEO ever appointed to Aspira of FL. During his tenure, Cabrera gained national recognition for his innovative use of the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), which allowed Aspira to secure private financing and build three new charter schools in Miami.

Among various honors and appointments, he served on the national Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Board and Miami’s historic Olympia Theater Board of Directors. In 2016, he received the South Florida Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” award, which recognizes young executives and business leaders who have made significant contributions in their fields.

Despite the accolades in his professional life, Cabrera was proudest of the family he built with his wife, Violeta Miranda. He was a devoted father to his sons, Carlos Manuel, 9, and Nicholas, 21. Like any good Latino, he had strong ties to his extended family, including his grandmother Josefa de la Grana, who he took grocery shopping every Sunday. He joked that he knew where to find all the sales for Cuban staples like sweet plantain and malanga.

While George deeply loved his Cuban heritage, he “fully embraced” Violeta’s Nicaraguan roots. Violeta recalls how they “cherished cultivated and celebrated” each other’s culture and how they shared a passion for trotting the globe together. Their travels included Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia and Russia, to name a few. George loved to tell stories about his “Indiana Jones” adventures with his wife.

George Cabrera was born on February 28, 1977, in Passaic, New Jersey, where he lived with his mother, a municipal emergency coordinator, his younger sister and his grandparents. He was especially close to his grandfather, Manuel de la Grana, who worked in a local electronics factory. In their spare time, the family frequented a Cuban social club, where Cabrera developed his love for Latin music and dance.

Just after graduating from high school, at 18, Cabrera moved to Miami, to pursue his dreams. He worked three jobs while supporting himself through college. He was the first in this family to go to college, earning a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration from American Intercontinental University in South Florida and a master’s degree in International Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

In his final act, Cabrera was helping the Roxy Theatre Group, a performing arts academy, manage the new Westchester Cultural Arts Center, a Miami Dade County facility that opened in 2021.

“He quickly became such a big force for the arts with us, that he has left a very large hole in our hearts and lives,” said Charles Sothers, Roxy’s artistic director. “And although he's no longer a phone call away, he will always be a part of all that we do at The Roxy.”

In addition to his wife, son and grandmother, Cabrera is survived by his mother, Miriam de la Grana and his sister, Jenilyn Gonzales.

The family would appreciate donations made in Cabrera’s memory to the Roxy Theatre Group and SEED School of Miami.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=GZZJH66TENSP6

https://miami.seedschool.org/donation-page

Flower arrangements can be made through the funeral home website at masponsfuneral.com.

Funeral services and burial:

Thursday 2/3/22

6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Maspons Funeral Home

7895 SW 40th St., Miami

Friday 2/4/22

10:30 a.m. Mass

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

14187 SW 72nd St., Miami

Friday 2/4/22

12:30 p.m. Burial

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery

11411 NW 25th St., Doral