Juan Manuel Reyes died peacefully at home on Sunday, January 5th.

Juan was born on August 12, 1942, in Linares, Mexico, to the late Juan and Alma Reyes (née Gonzalez.) As a teenager, he moved to Waco, Texas, and later Houston. He began his college education at Baylor University and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Houston and a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Delaware. Juan was a proud Mexican whose love of the Spanish language, Mexican culture, and Latin American history led him to a decades-long career teaching those very subjects to middle and high school students.

Juan began his teaching career in Seaford, Delaware. He later taught in Wilmington, Delaware, at Brandywine Springs and McKean High School. He was actively involved in the National Education Association and in his role, traveled the country talking to and working on behalf of his fellow educators. After retiring from McKean, Juan spent several years teaching Spanish and Latin American history at Westtown, School in Westtown, Pennsylvania. In 2003, Juan relocated to Sarasota, Florida, where he finished his teaching career at the Out-of-Door Academy. He retired in 2005.

Juan was an avid reader and lover of print newspaper, telenovelas, and British crime dramas. He enjoyed crossword puzzles and took pride in completing the Sunday Times crossword in ink. Juan's sarcastic wit and feisty spirit were with him until the end. He truly was "Juan in a million."

Juan is survived by his loving wife of thirty years, Marilyn Reyes, children Victor (Donna) Reyes, Mario Reyes, Sarah (Merrick Teti) Hudson, Penn (Briana) Hudson, grandchildren Alexa (Dean) DeLucia, Jazmin Reyes, Declan Hudson, Deacon Hudson, and sister Blanca (John) Lláñez.

The family would like to thank the compassionate nursing staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Tidewell Hospice.

A celebration of his life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his honor to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, www.hsf.net.

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