Curbelo, Rafael (1940-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Jan 4 p. 6

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text of obituary:

MWC Cuban leader dies in Germany

By Ferne Burkhardt

Mennonite World Conference

STRASBOURG, France — Rafael Curbelo, a Brethren in Christ leader from Cuba who served on the Mennonite World Conference General Council, died of an apparent heart attack on Dec. 13 while traveling in Germany. he was 69.

A General Council member since 1997, Curbelo was elected to the MWC Executive committee in Paraguay in July to represent Latin America and the Caribbean.

Janet Plenert of Canada, MWC vice president, said Curbelo embodied hope. "He offered a rare window and opportunity for the church in Cuba to connect actively with and contribute to the global church," she said.

Last year Curbelo helped the fledgling Mennonite Church in Cuba process its documentation to send its leader to MWC's Paraguay assembly.

One of Curbelo's contributions to the global church was serving as the Latin American representative in an MWC delegation to Vietnam in November 2008.

"The common sociopolitical situations and the similar experiences of the churches, in Cuba and Vietnam, together with his warm personality, made him a star of the delegation with valuable insights for leaders of the Vietnamese church," said Larry Miller, MWC general secretary.

Just before his death, Curbelo was in the Regensberg area in Germany for a week of fellowship with Mennonites after participating in an early December meeting of the International Brethren in Christ Association Executive Committee in Strasbourg. He died in an ambulance en route to Dresden. Curbelo is survived by his wife, Leyda, and a son, Kenneth.