Jorge Luis Amigó

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Jorge Luis Amigó, 81, of Durham, NC, passed away on January 29, 2021 at Duke University Medical Center, with his loving wife at his side. He had been in declining health for several years.

Jorge was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 23, 1939, the youngest son of Dr. Isidro Amigó Arnáiz and Georgina del Portillo Alfonso Amigó. In early 1962, he immigrated to the US and followed his brother to Durham, happy not to go any further north. Jorge married his wife, Hattie, 58 years ago, and was a devoted and loving husband, supportive of any project his wife chose, as long as she fed him. He was an amazing father who enjoyed spending time with his daughter, including attending events where she was participating. He took time to teach and guide her, but also had the wisdom to know when to give her the independence to go out on her own.

Jorge was a loyal friend and cherished his many friendships. His accent was always present, and he used it to his advantage when he told jokes. He also liked to tell stories about things that happened in his life, and he was often the life of the party. He didn’t want anyone to feel left out, especially the widowed and single ladies, who he always greeted with a smile.
He graduated with an AAD in Electronics from Durham Technical Institute in 1967. Jorge was a dedicated worker at Westinghouse/ABB/Elster for 41 years where he was paid to dream. He would find a way to complete the assigned task, even if it included unconventional methods. He liked to learn new things and was often selected to work on the R&D projects. Jorge was also tasked with teaching the co-ops. So they would remember their mistakes with a smile, Jorge awarded many the Sparky Award for making a circuit flame or smoke. The circuits don’t work anymore when you let the magic smoke out. A few of the co-ops he taught became his future bosses. The people that underestimated him were in for a surprise.
Jorge enjoyed traveling and went every time he could. He also appreciated escaping to the beach to enjoy walks along the ocean and seeing the changes in the neighborhood. He did not like to sit around, and always found projects to tinker on. No project was too big, including remodeling a house from the studs up.

Preceding Jorge in death are his parents, and his brother, Dr. Isidro Amigó. He is survived by his wife, Hattie Gardner Amigó of Durham; daughter, Maria Amigó of Cary; sister, Lydia Amigó-Spaulding of North Myrtle Beach, SC; nephew, Dr. Isidro A. Amigó (Debbie) of Parkersburg, WV; nephew, Dr. Emilio Amigó of Columbus, OH; nephew, Dr. Roger Amigó (Natasha) of Dublin, OH; niece, Jackie Gardner Merrill of Louisburg, NC; niece, Amanda Kogler (Kyle) of Little River, SC; six great nephews, seven great nieces, and seven great-great nephews/nieces.

A funeral Mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 4, 2021 at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church , 625 Magdala Place, Apex, NC 27502, with a burial immediately following in Saint Matthew Catholic Cemetery 1001 Mason Road, Durham, NC 27712. Due to COVID, social distancing and masks are required.

The Funeral Mass be available for viewing on line: Click here to view the Livestream service..

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In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations may be made to one of the following: Knights of Columbus, Monsignor William F. O’Brien, Assembly 3365, 135 Jefferson Dr, Durham, NC 27712; Saint Matthew Catholic Church, 1001 Mason Road, Durham, NC 27712; or Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, 625 Magdala Place, Apex, NC 27502.