Manuel Lorenzo Rhodicio Alvarez Majon

Manuel Lorenzo (Manuel Lorenzo Rhodicio Alvarez Majon), 99, embarked on his final journey on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at Autumn Care of Drexel with his wife, Deborah, daughter, Alicia, and granddaughter, Marisa, by his side along with his caregivers from Autumn Care and Burke Hospice.

Manuel was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, on March 5, 1926. His parents were from Spain as were his brother and sister. He is survived by his dedicated and loving wife, Deborah; and his daughters Alicia Wilson (Jim) Morganton, Linda McGrady (Stan) Sparta, and Tina Moore (Keith) Mount Holly. His grandchildren include Marisa Scott, Loren Scott, David McGrady (Stacy), Catherine Duval (Devin), Matthew Elliott (Jess), Sarah Elliott (Nick), Mary Elliott, Rachel Moore, and Adam Moore. He also has nine great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by two daughters Luisa Lorenzo (2022) and Anita Lorenzo (2023).

Manuel attended school in Cuba until he was 19. He then came to the United States to attend college. While in college, he was drafted and joined the United States Army and fought in the Korean War as a paratrooper. His unit was part of the 11th Airborne Division. While in the Army, he also served as a cook and an interpreter/translator.

After the war, he returned to college at Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone. After graduation he taught at Lenoir High School for 15 years and was Teacher of the Year in 1958. He also taught at Caldwell Community College for 18 years. In 1976, he was Teacher of the Year and Caldwell and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1989. He was also involved in summer school at Appalachian Teachers College as a teacher and principal. In the summers, he would take groups of students to Mexico and Spain. Manuel traveled across South America immersing himself in the different cultures and helping build homes and accessing water and other necessities.

Manuel’s love of learning led to a lifetime of education including degrees from Appalachian State University (BA and MA in Education and Business), Louisiana State University (Teaching Certification in Foreign Languages and U.S. Certification and Translator), and the University of Madrid (Masters of Foreign Language). His studies took him all over the world — Texas, California, Louisiana, LSU, Argentina, Spain, and Mexico.

Manuel was a man of many interests. He loved to study history. He collected and watched old movies. Westerns and classic films were his favorites. He built homes doing plumbing, wiring, and rockwork. He enjoyed woodworking, working on old cars, gardening, canning jellies and vegetables, and collecting antiques especially tools, clocks, and radios.

Manuel also enjoyed music, dance, arts, history, and a love for education. For a time, Manuel owned a salvage yard/car business in Lenoir and even worked part-time at the movie theater in Boone. Many years ago, he also dedicated himself to helping the Optimist Club where he was instrumental in getting the baseball field in Boone.

With his affable and gregarious nature, Manuel was always meeting new people and sharing his many stories. Some of the notable people he met during his life were Shirley Temple, Harry Truman, and Ernest Hemingway. Growing up in Cuba, he attended school with Desi Arnaz and Fidel Castro.

More than anything, Manuel was a people person. He was always willing to help and engage with people. With his language skills, Manuel was a sought-after translator for courts, social services, health departments, Blue Ridge Electric and the school system. He enjoyed his work with Burke County Public Schools as a translator and ESL/ELL teacher. Manuel extended help to his students beyond the classroom by helping with their books and tuition, housing, transportation, health care, and whatever they might need.

Manuel’s life was one of exploration, learning, and, above all, service. He leaves a rich legacy embodied in all the people he helped in his nearly 100 years.

A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. today, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in the chapel of Heritage Funeral Service in Valdese. Interment will follow the service in Burke Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends on Saturday from 2-3 p.m., one hour prior to the service, at Heritage Funeral Service in Valdese.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to The Library Foundation of Burke County, 204 S. King St., to continue his mission of life-long learning for the children of Burke County; or Amorem, 1721 Enon Road, Valdese, NC 28690 for the chaplaincy program.

An online guestbook and obituary are available at www.heritagefuneralservices.com.

Heritage Funeral Service & Crematory of Valdese is serving the family.