Gregario Fuentes passes away

Guest · Post by **Guest** » January 20, 2002 8:47 am

Gregario Fuentes, boat captain and fishing guide to Ernest Hemingway passed away recently at the age of 103 at his home in Cojimar, Cuba. Fuentes was the inspiration for the Hemingway story "The Old Man and the Sea". JB met him and wrote about his meeting in the story "Hooked in the Heart" in "Tales From Margaritaville".

Buffalo Bill · Post by **Buffalo Bill** » January 21, 2002 12:01 am

I don't know if anyone is as saddened by this news as I am. I had the privelege of meeting the man himself in 2000, in his house. His grandson took a photo of us together, and in it, I was holding Hemingway's old fishing rod.
He was a kind man, and a real ladies' man. He put the moves on my professor, who smiled and turned red. The man was kind enough to sign my copy of "The Old Man and the Sea." Though his signature is shaky, it is authentic as he was. Though I only met him briefly, I will miss him, and I am proud to say I met him.

Buffalo Bill

[size=-1][ This Message was edited by: Buffalo Bill on 2002-01-21 13:01 ][/size]

macaroni · Post by **macaroni** » January 26, 2002 1:59 am

One of my life's goals was to meet Gregorio Fuentes. I've heard he was a very kind man who was always willing to meet visitors and fans of Hemingway. If i'm lucky I'll make it to 104 before I get my chance to meet Hemingway's captain. -Greg Brown

[size=-1][ This Message was edited by: macaroni on 2002-01-26 02:20 ][/size]