Chris Perez, Loving Father and Creative Intellectual, Dies at 69

Domingo Chris Perez—musician, software vendor, master blender, and health-care executive, but above all else, loving father—joined his parents, Lucrecia Fernandez and Domingo Perez, in Heaven on March 15, 2020—his mother’s birthday. He leaves his son Christopher William Swift-Perez, sisters Maria Cifuentes and Gloria Hernandez, niece Miriam Hernandez, nephew Richard Cifuentes, significant other Diana Rodriguez, and many close friends.

Shortly after his father’s death, when Chris was three years old, his family emigrated from La Habana, Cuba to Miami, Florida, searching for economic opportunity. Chris joined the search as a young boy, cornering the neighborhood market for bottle caps. While other boys traded standard bottle caps—from Coca Cola, for example—Chris polished off their paint and offered “silver” or “gold” bottle caps—a hot commodity—for trade.

As a young man, Chris enjoyed theater and music, spending several years touring Big Daddy’s lounges—Florida’s disco-era nightclub chain, survived by Flanigan’s—as a musician. He played saxophone, flute, or guitar, and occasionally would sing after enough whiskey.

Chris loved the avante-garde. An avid reader and thinker, Chris self-taught and ventured into subjects as complicated as theoretical physics, without a college education. After music, Chris joined the software industry, which later opened doors in rum production and health care, where he built businesses into popular brands.

Chris was a loving father, who believed in quality and quantity time. He and his son explored countless hobbies together, including baseball and basketball, chess and video games, canasta and gin rummy, RC cars and model rockets, fresh-water and deep-sea fishing, and boar and bird hunting. Despite making significant financial sacrifices to send his son to elite private schools, Chris never delegated or abdicated the responsibility of educating his son. He counted his son’s graduation from Harvard Law School among his many achievements.

During retirement, Chris developed esophageal cancer. His sister, Maria Cifuentes, cared for him and kept him company throughout his illness. He fought hard and rarely complained.

A wake for friends and family will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, beginning at 6:00 PM with a Tributes Of A Lifetime at 7:00 PM at Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida, 33024. A private funeral service for family only will be held on Thursday, March 19 at St. Mark Catholic Church.

Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida, 33024, (954) 983-6400 in charge of arrangements.