SURFSIDE, FLA. (WSVN) - The grief of losing family members in the Surfside partial condo building collapse hits home right here at Channel 7. Chief Meteorologist Phil Ferro lost two loved ones, and the victims’ sons have also been left heartbroken.
Antonio and Gladys Lozano’s love story was 68 years in the making. They met in their neighborhood in Havana when he was 14 and she was 12.
He came to the U.S. and worked several odd jobs, saving his money to bring his bride to Orlando when she was 22.
Starting as a bank clerk, he worked his way up to the executive suite.
To 7News Chief Meteorologist Phil Ferro, the Lozanos were his godmother and uncle.
“They were truly the kind of people who whatever you needed, they were there for you, for the entire family,” said Ferro.
For Tony and Sergio Lozano, they were mom and dad.
“They were bigger than life,” said Sergio. “What a love story.”
The sons want to shift the focus from the tragic way their parents died at Champlain Towers South to the way they lived.
They supported the business of one son.
“My dad, until last Wednesday, the night before his death, was working here,” said Sergio. “He was still coming three days a week.”
They backed a different path for their firstborn.
“We were riding in the car, and I go, ‘Dad, I really don’t want to go to college anymore,’ and he goes, ‘Son, you do whatever you want, as long as you’re happy,'” said Tony. “I remember those words like he told me yesterday.”
They doted on their grandchildren and spent time with their great grandson.
“My grandchild was born November 30, and my mom was so, so, so happy,” said Sergio.
“My wife says, ‘What are you all doing up so early on a Sunday?’ And my dad was the one who was on the phone, and he was all proud he says, ‘Me? I’m on my way to see my great grandson,'” said Tony.
A trip to the Vatican during a European vacation two and a half years ago left Sergio with an unforgettable memory.
“I see my mom, and she just starts to cry,” said Sergio. “I walk up to my mom [and said], ‘Mom, why are you crying?’ And she tells me, ‘Thank you, my son. I never thought I was going to see this alive.'”
A family grieving but holding onto a legacy full of sacrifice, hard work and love.
Lives lived together until the very end.
“My mom’s an angel, and my dad’s my superhero,” said Tony. “They loved each other so much. Their love was so large. Neither one of them, I don’t think, could have bared to be without the other. God blessed me and took them both at the same time, and they’re together.”
The couple would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in July.
As the sons prepare their parents’ funerals, they expressed their gratitude to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade Police for the way they have handled the notification process.
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