Dr. Vallejo , Sergio

Dr. Sergio H. Vallejo passed away peacefully at home on Monday, January 29th. He was born on August 9, 1933 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, the son of Carlos M. Vallejo and Carmen R. Ibarra. He went to Havana to fulfill his life passion of becoming a physician. He attended the University of Havana Medical School and graduated on December 1960. Shortly after, he married his wife Mirtha and they started their journey together that eventually brought them to Lakeland with their children Mirtha and Sergio. Dr. Vallejo’s strong feelings against the communist system in Cuba, and fearing for his life led him to escape to the United States in 1968, leaving his family behind knowing that it was the only way to get them out of the country. After a long year of separation and uncertainty, they reunited in Winfield, Kansas where Dr. Vallejo worked as staff physician at the Winfield State Hospital and Training Center. Their next step brought them to Lakeland for Dr. Vallejo to attend the Internship Program at Polk General Hospital in Bartow. He entered private practice in 1972 as a Family Physician, first at the General Practice Clinic and afterwards on his own. He was a staff physician at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. He dedicated most of his practice to the area Nursing Homes as an attending physician and Medical Director of several of the homes, since 1974 until his retirement in 2014. His life was dedicated to his patients and the institutions he worked for. He was Board Certified and Life Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Board Certified and member of the Florida Medical Directors Association and the American Medical Directors Association among other professional associations. He was also member of the Board of the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club. Dr. Vallejo was loved and admired by everyone who knew him. His warm personality, his compassion and his genuine friendliness made him special. He loved his family, his friends and enjoyed listening to classical music and old Cuban songs, traveling the country and the world and watching his favorite television programs, mainly sports. He is survived by his wife of 57 years Mirtha, daughter Mirtha Crosby and husband Scott, son Dr. Sergio R Vallejo and wife Kim, grandchildren Anthony and Christina Vallejo, and Allyson and Brandon Pickering, as well as a brother, a sister and several nieces. A special recognition to his caregivers from Helping Hand Nursing Services, Good Shepherd Hospice and specially Caridad Hernandez, for her devoted loving care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The First Tee of Lakeland, YMCA Par 3, 1740 George Jenkins Blvd, Lakeland, Fl. 33815 or Special Olympics Florida-Polk County, 2215 Sleepy Hill Rd. Lakeland, 33810. A Celebration of Life memorial will be held at Heath Funeral Chapel, 328 S. Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland on Saturday February 10, at 3:00 pm with a reception to follow in the Tribute Center. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.heathfuneralchapel.com