Gloria Gonzalez Nicolau, 95, of Dubuque, Iowa, formerly of Havana, Cuba, passed away on October 21, 2021, at Luther Manor.

A Spanish/English Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. on November 17, 2021, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with Fr. Martin Coolidge officiating. Family and friends may gather after 10:00 a.m. at the church until time of mass. Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road is assisting the family.

Gloria was born August 3, 1926, in Havana, Cuba to Jaime Nicolau and Mariana Cruz. She graduated from the University of Havana with a Ph.D. in Pedagogy in 1952. She later graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa. She worked for the Dubuque Community School District as a Spanish teacher. Mom also taught at Divine Word Seminary in Epworth and Manatee Community College in Florida for a short time. She was a teacher for the DCSD for 27 years and 10 in Havana at the Dominican school for girls. She was a beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. Mom loved to teach and was so proud that she was able to take her students traveling. She was musically talented and played the piano by ear. She directed and choreographed 2 Spanish Variety shows with music, dancing and plays, one being at Senior and then at Hempstead. She was Chairman and opened the Foreign Language Dept. at Hempstead.

She is survived by her daughter Cely (Jim Leybourne) Gonzalez; grandsons Forrest (Chyla Hall) Garlow, and Jordan Garlow; great grandson Rowan Garlow; nieces Vivianne Vega and Maria Eugenia Lopez; and nephews Carlos Nicolau, Jorge Luis Nicolau, and Dr. Jose Gonzalez.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Jaime and Mariana, her sister Marina, and her brothers Jaime and Carlos.

A memorial fund has been established for Gloria Gonzalez Nicolau to benefit the Dubuque Community School District High School’s foreign language departments for travel at Dupaco Community Credit Union.

A special thank you to Gloria’s primary care physicians, Dr. Garret Ridgley and Dr. Benjamin Kumor. Caregivers in Margate, FL and Dubuque, IA. Muchas Gracias to Luther Manor Nurse’s, CNA’s and Staff and our fabulous Hospice of Dubuque Team.. A heartfelt Thank You to all of you!