Miami City Commissioner Manolo Reyes dies at 80
Miami City Commissioner Manolo Reyes, who dedicated his life to public service, has died at age 80.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Miami City Commissioner for District 4 Manolo Reyes,” his family said in a statement Friday.
Earlier this week, Reyes was hospitalized due to a decline in health. He has faced health issues in recent years, including battling cancer.
“Manolo cherished his family, especially his three grandsons,” his family said. “He loved his many, many friends all across our great communities. He yearned for a free and democratic Cuba. And he was a proud and enthusiastic Florida Gator.”
Reyes’ family said that serving as the District 4 commissioner “was Manolo’s great, lifelong dream fulfilled. He energetically served his City with passion, honor and integrity every day.”
“When asked recently how he wished to be remembered, Manolo humbly said: ‘As a man who fulfilled his solemn duties, to his family and to his community; as a man whose word was his bond, and upon whose handshake could be relied, and who never had a corrupt thought in his entire life,’” his family said.
Reyes had a nontraditional path to elected office, winning his first election in 2017 at the age of 73 after six unsuccessful attempts dating back to 1985.
Reyes was born in 1944 in Cuba in a town called Victoria de las Tunas, now known as Las Tunas. His father, Ernesto “Payes” Reyes, was mayor of the town from 1952 until 1959, when Fidel Castro seized power. That year, Reyes — then a teenager — came with his family to the U.S. seeking refuge from the Castro regime.
In 1977, Reyes went on to graduate from the University of Florida, where he studied economics. After that, he landed a job at the city of Miami as a budget analyst.
An economist by trade, Reyes served as the principal economic analyst for the Overtown Park West Redevelopment Project and later was a principal budget analyst for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He also taught at Westland Hialeah Senior High School.
In an interview with the Miami Herald in May, Reyes said public office was something he considered to be a “vocation.”
“If you get into government, you get power to serve, and many people forget about this,” Reyes said. “You don’t obtain power to serve yourself. The people give you power to serve them.”
The commissioner began facing health problems not long after his first election in 2017. He went into remission in 2019 following an earlier battle with cancer. Then in September 2023, amid his reelection campaign, Reyes was diagnosed with leukemia.
But by February 2024, Reyes announced that his cancer was in remission. In May, he celebrated his 80th birthday at City Hall, telling the crowd: “It’s like I was born again.”
With three wins under his belt, Reyes appeared poised for his next chapter in Miami politics. He announced in May that he planned to run for mayor of Miami in 2025, “God willing.”
But the commissioner’s health began to decline in subsequent months, causing Reyes to miss City Commission meetings. He was about halfway through his term at the time of his death.
Despite his health issues, Reyes’ family said the commissioner “did not let his illness define him; instead, he became even more committed to accomplishing the goals he had established for himself and his City staff, beginning with his election in 2017. Manolo’s ear always was attuned to ‘the little guy,’ the least among us, and he met with and counseled constituents up until only a few days before his recent hospitalization.”
Miami officials react
Mayor Francis Suarez said Friday that Reyes was a “fierce advocate for his district” who “exemplified the true meaning of perseverance.”
Suarez ran against and defeated Reyes in the 2009 election for District 4. Suarez recalled that Reyes kept the race focused on the issues, rather than stooping to smear tactics.
“We remained friends after that,” Suarez said. “There wasn’t a situation where, ‘Oh, he was my opponent, so he was therefore my enemy.’”
“I think that that’s rare in today’s day and age,” Suarez added.
Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela said it was a “sad day for the city of Miami to lose somebody like that.”
“I think he was a brave individual,” Gabela said. “I just admire the tenacity that he showed.”
“And I sparred with him backwards and forwards on occasion,” Gabela added, referring to arguments on the dais during City Commission meetings.
However, Gabela said that at the end of meetings where the commissioners were “civil” toward each other, Reyes would come up to him and say, “That was a good meeting.”
Commissioner Joe Carollo said Reyes was someone who “did not give up.”
“He ran numerous times before he got elected,” Carollo said. “He never lost that spirit of knowing that he could win, and many others would’ve just thrown in the towel. But he did not. The persevering spirit that he had, it’s very unique.”
Like Carollo, City Commissioner Christine King served alongside Reyes for years.
“Miami has lost a devoted public servant, and I have lost a dear friend,” King said. “There are no words which can express how deeply I will miss him. My heart aches along with his family, friends, and constituents who loved him dearly. May he rest in peace.”
Commissioner Damian Pardo described Reyes as “a friend, a colleague, but most importantly, an exceptional role model.”
“I will never forget his kindness and warmth, his welcoming hug to the dais during my first days as commissioner, and his welcoming smile,” Pardo said. “I will remember him for his intellect, passion, humility, strength, love of community, family, and service. May we all aspire to follow the principles, values, and actions that made Commissioner Manolo Reyes such an outstanding elected public official.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday that the flags at County Hall in downtown Miami would be flown at half-mast in honor of Reyes.
At a press conference called on Friday on a separate topic, Levine Cava offered high praise for Reyes in both English and Spanish.
“We know he was struggling,” she said. “He was a dear friend, a wonderful human being, someone who was loved and admired by everyone. For me, personally, it’s a deep loss.”
Afterward, Levine Cava said Reyes had given her a nickname: “He called me ‘Danielita,’” she said.
Reyes also served as chairman of the Downtown Development Authority. Christina Crespi, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement that Reyes “worked tirelessly to create a welcoming and thriving downtown.”
“His positivity, warmth, and dedication made him not only a remarkable leader but also a cherished friend to so many in our community,” Crespi said.
In a statement, Reyes’ family said: “Manolo is survived by his wife of 56 years, Chacha Reyes; daughter Meily and husband Antonio Rios; son Manny and wife Adriana Pereira-Reyes; grandsons, Maximo, Matthew and Daniel; sisters Mayda Rodriguez and Merle Reyes; his adored nieces and their husbands and extended family; many beloved friends and his exceptional City staff that were his District 4 family.”
“He was preceded in death by his sister Maika Reyes, his mother Eduviges Ortiz, and his hero, role model and political inspiration, his father Ernesto ‘Payes’ Reyes.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 7:51 AM.
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