Pedro Leal: dead at 101

On Thursday, San Ignacio residents will bid farewell to a man who was a pillar in that community for more than sixty years. Pedro Otero Leal passed away on Sunday at the age of one hundred and one. Leal came to Belize from Mexico in the 1940’s and spent the next four decades working as a chiclero and logger before being hired as a supervisor in the citrus industry. As recently as a year ago, Don Pedro, as he was affectionately known, could be seen walking through the streets of San Ignacio with his cane as a trusty companion. He would often encourage young people to shed their bad habits and work hard for the development of Belize. Services for Don Pedro Leal will be held tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at the Octavia Waight Centre in San Ignacio.