Manny Fernandez, Sr. Memorial Fund

The Fernandez Family Foundation established this fund in honor of Manny Fernandez, Sr., in 2003, and under the direction of his son Manny Fernandez, Jr.

The elder Fernandez was a wealthy and successful electrical engineer in Havana, Cuba. In 1959, he and his son came to the United States in search of a better life. The two settled in Daytona Beach, FL. There Manny struggled to make ends meet. He found work washing dishes, repairing stereos and running a gas station. The younger Fernandez graduated from UF in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineerin