Manuel Antonio Modesto Leal Catalá

A prominent public figure from Cienfuegos who, through his work as a clinical physician, earned the respect and esteem of all segments of Cienfuegian society of those years, without distinction of class.

He was born in Cienfuegos and was baptized with the names Manuel Antonio Modesto on March 1st of that same year. His parents were Mrs. Ángela Catalá y Amestoy, a native of Gibara, and Mr. Juan Leal y Leal, a native of the Canary Islands, a notable carpenter and excellent master builder who enjoyed an excellent reputation and the confidence of the solvent classes for his honesty and industriousness, and was also esteemed by working-class elements due to his natural kindness. It is worth clarifying that both he and the sculptor and stoneworker Mr. Miguel Valls took every opportunity to encourage, advise, and admonish young people so that they would acquire habits of work and love of study, without forgetting the practice of saving.

It is rare for a boy or young man of those times who did not receive periodic encouragement and advice from these gentlemen, who in this way contributed to forming the sentiments of the men who years later would be the social elements of Cienfuegos.

Manuel Antonio studied primary education in the schools of Mr. Ginés Escanaverino de Linares and Mr. Félix Fernández López, completing them at the "Nuestra Señora de Montserrat" School, where he pursued secondary education. He studied his degree at the University of Havana and graduated in June of 1897, from which year he began to practice medicine in Cienfuegos.

He married in this city to Miss Virginia Cabrera y Borges on November 17th, 1899, and from this marriage five children were born: Juan Manuel, Ángel, María, Luisa, and Ángela.

He was physician for the former Coopers' Guild, the Laborers' Guild, the Stevedores' Guild, the Marine Guild of the Bay, the Society of Employees The Cuban Central, the Cuba Insurance Company, the Canary Association, and the Canary Center. From the first institution mentioned, he was physician for 23 years, 19 years for the Laborers' and Stevedores' Guilds, and 15 for the Marine Guild of the Bay.

He did not hold any salaried public position in the Province, Municipality, or State.

With recognized merits, he enjoyed a high reputation, being considered one of the most notable clinicians of those years, perhaps the physician who rendered the greatest professional work, since he was exemplarily industrious and attentive in the care of his patients.

His affable and jovial character, combined with his vast professional knowledge, made him one of the most sought-after physicians in the city. For his humanitarian sentiments and his generous nature when it came to the needy classes, he became worthy of the respect and esteem of all segments that formed Cienfuegian society of those years, without distinction of class.

During the epidemics that plagued Cienfuegos, he always figured in first place, not only for his medical work, but for the moral and material benefits he spontaneously bestowed upon the people who saw him born.

He was offered all the political positions that a citizen could aspire to and all the posts accessible to a professional of his elevated merits, but due to his modesty he always declined these honors, accepting only a gold medal and a Grand Diploma of Honor, which were granted to him by the City Council of this city after the Centennial festivities; a diploma that bore the following brilliant inscription:

"For his love and free services to the poor for twenty-two years".