Ofelia Fox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ofelia Fox (1923 – January 2, 2006), born Ofelia Suárez in Havana, Cuba, was a well known writer and Hollywood socialite.
Ofelia Suárez grew up in Cuba with three siblings. She published several books of poetry. At the age of 29, she married businessman Martin Fox. Her husband became owner of what was to become a legendary night spot, the Tropicana Club in Havana. It was there that Ofelia Fox first met many Hollywood stars and celebrities, such as Ava Gardner, Nat King Cole, Ernest Hemingway, Carmen Miranda and Tyrone Power.
In Cuba of the 1950s, Ofelia Fox became a well-known nightlife personality, as she was often by her husband's side at the nightclub. Under Martin Fox's ownership, the Tropicana Club flourished and became one of the most well-known entertainment venues in the world. Revolutionary forces, under the command of Fidel Castro, took over the club in 1959, prompting Martin and Ofelia to move to Miami. The couple, who had no children, lived for five years in Miami, where Ofelia became friends Rosa Sanchez.
When Martin died of a stroke in 1964, Ofelia and Rosa moved to Glendale, California, near Los Angeles. Their house became a meeting place for Cubans living in California, and domino parties were common.
In 2003, author Rosa Lowinger approached Ofelia about writing a book about the Tropicana and her life. Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub (Harcourt, 2005) by Lowinger and Fox incorporates interviews with many former Tropicana employees. By the time of publication, Fox was battling both cancer and diabetes. She died at the age of 82 from cancer and complications from diabetes, at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.
