04/14/2025
We were sad to hear of the recent passing of community leader and Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes.
Manolo was a longtime friend of the Permuy family for over 50 years. Permuy Architecture board member Jesús Permuy recalls first knowing him in the 1970s and always remembers him being someone of the highest moral character and unshakable principles.
Permuy also remembers Reyes as a knowledgeable economist and educator who was always deeply engaged in and passionate about the community. Significantly, he also had a history of public service in his family and took after his father, who had served as a mayor in Cuba before the Revolution. Jesús and Manolo were allies on a range of community issues over the years and served together in the Municipios De Cuba En El Exilio (Municipalities of Cuba in Exile), of which Manolo was a strong supporter and was greatly admired by the group in return. Jesús describes Reyes as having “a vocation to help people” and was always sincere, transparent, responsive, hard working, and a true public servant.
Throughout his career in public service, Manolo Reyes cared deeply about socioeconomic issues like helping families and the homeless. He was particularly effective in community improvement and connection through parks, infrastructure, as well as affordable housing, and had presided over the Downtown Development Authority of Miami.
Manolo never lost touch with his sense of purpose, and was a man that will be remembered as a beacon of the utmost integrity who touched many lives and made Miami a better and stronger city through his service.
We send our prayers and sympathies to Manolo’s family, friends, staff, colleagues, and constituents, many of whom have come to embrace him as extended family.
For those interested in paying their respects, we have attached information for Commissioner Reyes’ services this week.