Santiago Ibarbia

Santiago Roman Ibarbia, born August 9th, 1933 in Cuba to Petra Eufemia Ortiz Rivero and Santiago Ramon Ybarbia Fernandez passed away in his home in Chicago, Illinois on July 26th, 2026. Born one of four children, Santiago was raised by his mother and uncle on a farm where the family worked as farmhands and his uncle worked as a mechanic. Santiago spent his childhood fishing and riding his bicycle and friends knew him as Sapo Blanco. Santiago married Maria Mercedes in 1957 and they were blessed with two daughters, Lourdes and Miriam. Eventually, Santiago and Maria made the difficult decision to move to the United States. A family man through and through, Santiago moved to a work camp in Camaguey where he cut sugar cane for 3 years until the Cuban government granted him and the family permission to leave the country. His daughters recount the bittersweet joy of short visits home, coupled with the pain of seeing Santiago’s health deteriorate from the physical labor and returning to Camaguey during hurricanes. In 1969, the family was allowed to leave and make a new home in the United States. The family immigrated to Albany Park where they embraced the city, despite its challenges. Santiago often told the story of getting lost on the L train a couple of days after arriving in Chicago and walking for hours to find his way back to his family in Albany Park. Santiago and Maria worked hard to provide for their daughters and ensure they could continue their education as this was important to him. Santiago was a buoy for his family. He was always festive, enthusiastic, and silly. Although he was only able to attend school for a few years, Santiago was committed to learning through reading, watching documentaries, and keeping up with world news. He was kind and encouraging to everyone around him by always expressing his pride in them. Santiago had a true adventurous spirit and was always willing to try new things, for better or worse. A story Santiago frequently told involved crashing his uncle's Indian motorcycle as a kid after taking it for a joyride without his uncle's permission. Even after macular degeneration took his sight, Santiago stubbornly and sneakily took the bus around the city, returning home with tales of the new grocery store he visited or what he bought from the tool store. Santiago is survived by his two daughters, Lourdes and Miriam, and five grandchildren: Michael, Vanessa, and William; David and Andrew. All whom he loved and cherished dearly. The greatest of these was Santiago's love for Maria. It was undying and unfaltering. When Maria's health started to decline, Santiago did everything he could to care for her. He struggled to ask for help, and eventually learned to rely on his daughters and grandchildren for support. Such was Santiago's love for Maria that he expressed his spirit died with Maria in 2023 and he mourned her ever since. Santiago is now with Maria in eternal rest.

Santiago Ibarbia

August 9, 1933 - July 26, 2026