Manuel Márquez-Sterling, 90

PLYMOUTH — Born November 26, 1931, in Havana, Cuba a Historian and intellectual Manuel Márquez-Sterling, 90, died in Plymouth on Saturday morning, April 23, 2022.

Manuel was the Son of Carlos Márquez-Sterling and Sylvia Dominguez; stepson to Uva Hernandez Cata; brother to Carlos Márquez-Sterling; stepbrother to Lucia Perez, Uva Aragon, and Gloria Baker.

Born in Havana to a distinguished Cuban family, he followed the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the study of law. He received his law degree from the University of Havana in 1955. Manuel obtained a Ph.D. from the School of Social Science at the University of Havana in 1958. He received the National Law Award, the top student prize at the University of Havana. His law practice in Cuba included serving as a public defender and arguing constitutional law cases before Cuba's Supreme Court.

After the Castro revolution of 1959, Manuel and his family were exiled in 1960, arriving in the USA with the allowed amount of $350. Manuel and his family settled first in Washington DC, where he became a U.S. citizen and worked as shoe salesman and taught at a prep school.

After attending a collage fair, he landed a position instructing Latin and economics at Ricker College in Houlton, ME. In 1965, he moved with his family to the White Mountains of Plymouth. He taught as Professor Emeritus of Medieval, Ancient and Roman History for 45 years at Plymouth University.

Engaging and charming, Manuel led an illustrious educator's career. In 1991 he was presented with Plymouth Universities Distinguished Teacher award. He was the winner of the "Rosa Blanca" National Award, patronato José Marti Los Angeles, CA. Manuel founded the Medieval forum with Herb Otto, Richard Chisholm, and Mary Taylor and served as the director between 1980 – 1998.

This annual event attracted medieval scholars from across the country and the world. He was the Chairperson of the Social Science Department from 1980 to 1986. In addition, he had a weekly radio program called History in the Music of Famous and Not So Famous Composers WPCR 91.7 Plymouth University Plymouth.

His literary career was marked by the publications of several well received novels, plays, and a long-running op-ed for Dario de las Americas. His publications include Historia de la Isla de Cuba, and A La Ingerencia Extrana, La Virtud Domestica (co-authored with his father, Carlos Márquez- Sterling), Fernán González, First Count of Castile: The Man and the Legend and Carlos Márquez-Sterling: Memorias de un Estadista. In 2009 he wrote Cuba 1952 -1959, The True Story of Castro's Rise to Power. The book explains how Fidel Castro came to power from the perspective of Manuel's direct personal experience.

He is also known for his acclaimed historical novels La Cúpula and Hondo Corre el Cauto. The latter topped the Miami Nuevo Herald bestseller list. An accomplished playwright, his works in that genre include, La Salsa del Diablo (The Devil's Sauce), which won the Madrid-Miami Letras de Oro Award in 1993. And later, in 1996, Corneille's Dream, winner of the Southern New Hampshire University Spectrum Award for One-Act Play.

In 2013 Manuel Márquez-Sterling co-wrote with Trish Lindberg the much-loved Marking the Moment musical play in honor of Plymouth 250th Jubilee Anniversary Celebration.

Ever the performer, Manuel, could be seen wearing hats from different periods in history. He also performed in several of his plays including Nothing More Nothing Less, a Plymouth University production done in collaboration with Trish Lindberg and Dan Perkins.

An avid baseball enthusiast, he was featured and consulted on the history of baseball in Latin America in the 1994 Ken Burns documentary series on the history of the game. Opera was a passion, and he was a loyal and committed fan of its art form. He was the President of the Meyerbeer fan club and took great pleasure in changing an unaware student into a diehard opera fan. For years locals could take his Are you afraid of Opera? lecture series. In addition, he lectured for the Opera League of NH. After one visit on a Cruise ship, he realized Cruise ships lacked Opera appreciation courses, so he designed a shorter version of his class and took to the high seas traveling the world and sharing his love for opera. In 2015 after suffering his first major stroke, Manuel wrote his final book, Clio's Song; History as Opera, An Overview of French Grand Historical Opera.

A Board Member of the Plymouth Historical Society he wrote and directed a play, about Daniel Webster’s imaginary return to Plymouth Who in the World is Perry Mason? Created as a fundraiser for the preservation of the Daniel Webster Courthouse.

Manuel, a dedicated and loving family man, was adored by his three daughters. A witty and imaginative father, he invented stories on the spot to keep the girls entertained while their mother shopped. He taught, his girls how to play baseball and created the “flyball” game for four players. He whimsically and lightheartedly would bite the girls' wrists, leaving an imprint of an imaginary watch using it to teach them time. A dutiful father, who oversaw breakfast and lunch he could magically take two pop-tarts from one package and divide them evenly between three girls, avoiding the often-heard lament, "that's not fair." He cleverly nick-named anything and everything, that entered his life, from their friends to projects and to objects in the house.

Apa, as Manuel was called by his only grandson Nicolas, was an exceedingly engaged and playful presence, a positive influence and role model for him from the beginning. Manuel was an excellent storyteller, and some of Nicolas’s earliest memories are listening to his Apa tell him stories of ancient myths and long forgotten worlds, which always filled him with a sense of wonder which he carries with him to this day. Along with the ability to tell a story, more gifts Manuel gave to his grandson include how to get into just the right about of mischief, that the best way to listen to Tchaikovsky is at full blast in the car, and to show a bad movie no mercy no matter how much everyone begs you to give it a break. A naturally smart charming rascal and adventurous man who loved to laugh— Apa was a one-of-a-kind grandfather.

Married 61 years, Manuel and Gloria were never apart from each other. They shared a strong love and bond and in exile they were able to create a life full of love, family and friends that could be admired and emulated not only by refugees but Americans as well. Shortly after arriving to America, it became inevitable that Gloria would have to also join the work force, Manuel, a true gentleman, promised Gloria that he would make her breakfast in bed for the duration of her career. It only ceased five years ago after a stroke that took his ability to carry a breakfast tray.

In 2020 he and Gloria, lost their first-born daughter Gloria Victoria, leaving him with an irreparable heartache.

He leaves behind his wife Gloria Marquez-Sterling; and his two daughters, Carolina Marquez-Sterling and Loli Marquez-Sterling; and grandson, Nicolas Charles Tanner, son of deceased daughter, Gloria V. Tanner.

Calling Hours will be held in the Mayhew Funeral Home, 12 Langdon St., Plymouth, on Friday, April 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated, Saturday, April 30 at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Parish St. Matthews Church, Plymouth. The Rev. Leo LeBlanc, pastor, will be the celebrant. 

The Mayhew Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with their arrangements www.mayhewfuneralhomes.com.