Juan R Mena

Juan R. Mena Gerlach, at the age 68, of Manchester, being a loving husband of 48 years to Sara A. (Gomez) Mena, went to be home with His Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at Hartford Hospital from an extended illness with cancer. He was born in Peaflor, Chile on April 20, 1948, son of the late Clemente and Laura (Gerlach) Mena. He was raised in Chile and earned a Bachelor in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Chile before moving to Miami, Florida in 1971. From 1988 to 2000, he had resided in South Korea, China, and the Caribbean. While living with his family in South Korea, he helped his missionary wife and son with their ministry in a Vietnamese Prison Camp. Juan was an industrial engineer in the shoe manufacturing industry for 34 years having worked for companies like Bata International and Reebok International Limited. After that, he continued doing industrial engineering consulting work for some years. Prior to retiring, he worked for some time in the banking and lending industry. With his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Sara R. Scranton and her husband Robert of East Haddam, and his son, John A. Mena of Manchester; two granddaughters, Romina and Daniela Sabando, and his brother, Jose Mena of Miami, FL.
A graveside service will be held on Thursday, June 23, 2016, at 10 AM in the East Cemetery (Section P Westminster) in the Town of Manchester, CT. Visiting hours are on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, from 5 PM to 9 PM at the Watkins Funeral Home, 142 East Center Street, Manchester where there will be a service starting at 7pm. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to http://68ministries.org/give/ To leave a message for his family, please visit www.holmes-watkinsfuneralhomes.com .


Visitation DetailsWednesday, June 22nd, 2016 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Watkins Funeral Home
Service DetailsThursday, June 23rd, 2016 10:00am, East Cemetery
Interment DetailsEast Cemetery