Last Dance Memorial Fund for Carlos Renta
Donation protected
It is in times of peril that the best of mankind shows up for those in need. There are men who have served our country in ways that we don’t even understand. Carlos Renta is one of those men. As a computer specialist in the Air Force we may never know what his early expertise in computer science and networking did to support volumes of data as well as communications that may have ultimately been The turning point in winning wars, and saving lives. Carlos knew about computers and networking before many of us were alive, and before the public could use a scientific calculator. He did all of this while raising two of his children alone as a single father.
But coming from “La Isla del Encanto”, Puerto Rico, Carlos’ true passion was Latin dance. He began mastering the art of salsa at the early age of 9 when his mother and father would take him to functions in Ponce, before he was tall enough to sit at the bar. From the 70’s, when dance was becoming so popular like the TV shows like soul train and fame took to the air, the pioneers of teaching dance to the masses began opening schools and teaching classes. Carlos‘ passion for dance led him to teach Latin dance in Central Florida. He opened schools, lead classes, competed, and was constantly searching out new dances. He had a passion for expressing his art by moving his body and helping others to do the same, that freed them from everyday stresses. He was an early adopter and pioneer of the hustle, a dance it is a foundation for much of what we see today..
Since March 19, 2019 he has gone through a number of surgeries. First a brain surgery that was a Hail Mary to lessen the effects of epilepsy, which began to affect Carlos’s memory and ability to function through simple things like driving and dance. Then a stomach surgery that was meant to be exploratory to find possible early forms of cancer. From there Carlos has moved to the medical system from doctor, to nurse, to insurance, the social worker, without any answers as to what was truly happening in his body. Finally with the help of his primary care physician and a few caring people at Moffitt Cancer Center it was discovered that Carlos suffered from stage four pancreatic cancer.
Unfortunately, on August 10, 2019 at 8:24 a.m., Carlos succumbed to the villainous disease of pancreatic cancer. His body and mind couldn’t handle the pain anymore, but it did not break his spirit right to the end. Although he was a veteran, the VA only covers partial expenses of the funeral and transition pieces that families are left with. His body or ashes are able to be put to rest in a national cemetery with minimal costs, however all major expenses are up to the family. The progression of his disease happened so quickly that monetarily it has been very difficult for us to save for this moment. We placed as much VALUE on the time we had left with our father, many times at the cost of being able to work. My father LOVED to dance and for many in the community, he taught the joy of movement and dancing. We are humbly asking that the community now move with us, and give Carlos a final dance on us. A peaceful dance to his rest, and a few steps with us to support with any help you could find in your hearts for burial expenses.
Sincerely,
The Renta Family
But coming from “La Isla del Encanto”, Puerto Rico, Carlos’ true passion was Latin dance. He began mastering the art of salsa at the early age of 9 when his mother and father would take him to functions in Ponce, before he was tall enough to sit at the bar. From the 70’s, when dance was becoming so popular like the TV shows like soul train and fame took to the air, the pioneers of teaching dance to the masses began opening schools and teaching classes. Carlos‘ passion for dance led him to teach Latin dance in Central Florida. He opened schools, lead classes, competed, and was constantly searching out new dances. He had a passion for expressing his art by moving his body and helping others to do the same, that freed them from everyday stresses. He was an early adopter and pioneer of the hustle, a dance it is a foundation for much of what we see today..
Since March 19, 2019 he has gone through a number of surgeries. First a brain surgery that was a Hail Mary to lessen the effects of epilepsy, which began to affect Carlos’s memory and ability to function through simple things like driving and dance. Then a stomach surgery that was meant to be exploratory to find possible early forms of cancer. From there Carlos has moved to the medical system from doctor, to nurse, to insurance, the social worker, without any answers as to what was truly happening in his body. Finally with the help of his primary care physician and a few caring people at Moffitt Cancer Center it was discovered that Carlos suffered from stage four pancreatic cancer.
Unfortunately, on August 10, 2019 at 8:24 a.m., Carlos succumbed to the villainous disease of pancreatic cancer. His body and mind couldn’t handle the pain anymore, but it did not break his spirit right to the end. Although he was a veteran, the VA only covers partial expenses of the funeral and transition pieces that families are left with. His body or ashes are able to be put to rest in a national cemetery with minimal costs, however all major expenses are up to the family. The progression of his disease happened so quickly that monetarily it has been very difficult for us to save for this moment. We placed as much VALUE on the time we had left with our father, many times at the cost of being able to work. My father LOVED to dance and for many in the community, he taught the joy of movement and dancing. We are humbly asking that the community now move with us, and give Carlos a final dance on us. A peaceful dance to his rest, and a few steps with us to support with any help you could find in your hearts for burial expenses.
Sincerely,
The Renta Family
Organizer
Kristin de la Renta
Organizer
Tampa, FL
