Enrique Ramon Vega, 65

Enrique Ramon Vega received the gift of life in Havana, Cuba on October 11, 1952, the year of the dragon. Over the course of his 65 years, Enrique breathed fire into everything he did, from forging beautiful objects from iron to exploring the universe through cinematography. He gave back his gift of life Saturday, April 14, 2018, in Rutherfordton, NC.

Enrique loved his family, friends, and his work. His mother, Estrella, was his heart and you could see his eyes light up whenever he talked about her. His mother, father, and two brothers moved to the US very close to the end of the Cuban Revolution, when Enrique was only eight years old. Although there were many struggles that he and his family had to endure, he learned from an early age how to overcome and be his own unique self. When it came to family, he always said "Where there is communication, there is love," and he truly believed this and tried his hardest to live by it. He was open and honest and gentle but could also be quite stubborn when he put his mind to something he believed in.

Enrique inspired many by always following his creative paths, excited about what adventures they could take him on. Creativity and finding his passion were so important to him that he filmed a documentary called The Elusive Creator. He believed that "We are born to be creators. All of us. Whether we are 'artists' or not."

Building on previous experience in cinematography, and with a new viewpoint gained by attending the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, Enrique was soon out the door on his Great Journey to Central and South America, camping and making many new friends along the way. A wanderer by nature, he loved being out on the open road from the time he was a young man in the 1970s, hitchhiking his way out west to only five years ago, traveling with his daughter Mary across the same country yet again. Enrique was also a self-professed motor head, owning and riding a number of different motorcycles over the years - there is that open-road desire again.

Enrique was very spiritual and always truly thankful for the life experiences he had and for those who shared in those experiences. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a photographer, a metal artist, a filmmaker, a coffee roaster. Enrique leaves this world a better place by instilling his virtues and values in his children, Mary, Monte, and Selbe as well as his five grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Luis and his sisters-in-law Susan and Cindy.

In lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation in his name to the Appalachian Voices Charity.

Crowe's Mortuary is assisting the family.