Biography

Martica Diaz, born Marta Augusta de la Caridad Diaz de la Torre in Havana, Cuba to Salvador Diaz Alpizar and Olivia de la Torre de la Paz began her acting journey when, at the age of 5, her mother enrolled her in the School of Dramatic Arts of the Centro Gallego of Havana under the direction of famed Latin American actor and director Joaquin Riera. By the age of 7, she was reciting poetry in venues throughout Havana and shortly thereafter became a child stage and radio actor on radio novellas, television and films broadcast throughout Latin America where newspaper journalists soon dubbed her "The Cuban Shirley Temple." She appeared in a myriad of stage productions, radio and television shows and films appearing also on numerous Cuban newspaper and magazine covers. She continued performing until 1960 when she decided to pursue her studies full-time at the University of Havana where in 1961, she married Jose Luis Fernandez, an aspiring architect. In 1962 she earned her Doctorate and was thereafter known as Dr. Marta Fernandez.

On August 4, 1963 Dr. Fernandez, now expecting her first child, together with her husband, emigrated to the United States through Madrid, Spain, where, she gave birth to her son Luis Alberto Fernandez. Less than two months later, on December 4, 1963, just 12 days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Fernandez and her family completed their journey to the United States and eventually settled near her sister Flora's family in the Chicago area.

Once in the United States, Dr. Fernandez soon became a professor and award-winning Spanish teacher. Drawing on her years of training and performance, Dr. Fernandez inspired thousands of students at Evanston Township High School, some of whom became Spanish teachers themselves. Over the years, Dr. Fernandez cherished her growing family of 5 grandchildren and pursued her passion to travel and explore other languages and cultures throughout the world. She continued to write and recite poetry, often about Cuba, her travels or family, until her death from Alzheimer's in her home of 48 years on February 1, 2024.

- IMDb mini biography by: Luis Alberto Fernandez