Alfredo Cristobal Duarte, Jr.

ALFREDO CRISTOBAL DUARTE, Jr; 74, of Atlanta, Georgia passed away on Saturday October 30, 2021 of natural causes. He was Born in Havana, Cuba, November 26, 1946.

Alfredo had a rich and varied life. He worked for nearly 10 years at CNN in Spanish as a producer and on-air talent, then went on to a busy and diverse career as an independent Spanish-language broadcaster. He also spoke Russian fluently and participated, as an interpreter, with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young in city trade commissions to Russia.

But his personal existence was at least as important as his professional life. Alfredo was a kind and loving man, joyful, outgoing, and generous to the ones he loved. He liked to entertain and bring people together on special occasions, or gather with them at the various Atlanta restaurants that he favored. He had a dry kind of intellectual humor that engaged and delighted his many friends.

Although he never had children, Alfredo touched many lives, always lending a supportive ear to those who needed it, leading groups of young Cuban exiles who sought to explore their roots in Cuba, and educating his sister Patricia in the literature of their native culture.

But the most important life he touched was that of his lifelong partner, Jose "Riqui" Alonso, the love of his life for over 50 years. Riqui, a school friend of Alfredo's sister, was visiting her at the Duarte family home in Miami, when he met Alfredo there. They were both in their early 20's then, and have never separated since that date until the present.

But at the time, their lifestyle wasn't sanctioned in the conservative community they hailed from, so they moved to Gainesville, Florida, where they became part of a tight-knit group of friends that evolved into a loving second family. The group subsequently moved to Atlanta, where they all had many happy, memorable years of gatherings, trips and country outings together.

This is the Alfredo that those who knew him will always remember.

Alfredo is survived by his siblings, Jorge A. Duarte and Patricia J. Duatre; his nephew, Alfredo Duarte Perez and his loving family of friends