Juan José Goñi Baamonde

Juan José Goñi Baamonde was born in La Coruña, Galicia in Spain, on March 6, 1959. The first son of Remedios Baamonde López and Juan Goñi Lecue, and born in the thick of Francisco Franco’s regime, Juan Goñi used to tell stories of growing up at a time when police, armed with machine guns, walked the streets, and conservatism stifled independence and cultural identity. He always knew he wanted to be a bridge engineer. In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, his grandfather and father helped reconstruct the bridges and roads bombed by opposing political sides. Some still stand today. Concrete ran in his blood. He loved his country, and he understood the pain, effort and manpower it took to bring people together. Once Spain fully transitioned and embraced democracy, he was on his way to the United States for an engineering internship in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was supposed to be one year in America, but he never left because he fell in love with his best friend, his wife, Gloria Lessan. The two of them met at a prayer meeting at Loyola University and worked on their doctorates at Tulane, his in civil engineering and hers in sociology. They got married before successfully defending their dissertations. Gloria, more than one foot shorter than Juan, inspired him to stand tall and proud, not difficult to do at a towering 6 foot 3. They had a daughter, Ana Cristina, and decided to settle in Tallahassee, Florida, after a brief stint in Norfolk, Virginia. Tallahassee was a good place to raise a family, he always said. A house with a yard, with loquat trees for shade and a large basement for all of his books; a church down the street and good burgers nearby; sweet tea and a beach 45 minutes away; Tallahassee was home. For over 35 years, he constructed a life filled with friends from every corner of society: engineers, professors, neighbors, food service workers, nurses, students, parishioners, strangers. His daughter’s friends were his children, and his home was open to all. He lived with the mantra that no barrier was too complicated to find a way across, whether it was a deep valley or political beliefs. He accepted all with no caveats, and he could leave his hair long and beard unkempt because even if his wife hated it, his daughter thought it looked good anyway. He wasn’t a fan of tattoos, but in the last months of his life, he appreciated the small toro his daughter got on her shoulder. He said it was nice, an extraordinary compliment, and said “Really?” when she said it was for him. He loved talking about politics, history, Star Trek, rebar, science, and K-dramas on Netflix, but raved over his wife’s research, his daughter’s journalism career and anything that had to do with his perfect granddaughter, Frances. Juan Goñi built bridges, but he didn’t just design the substructures and trusses that span over rivers and highways. In his 67 years of life, his generosity and unconditional support created connections between people who would otherwise never meet. He helped people find jobs and safe homes. He extended invitations to others to join family meals and celebrations. Juan Goñi built bridges because it was necessary, in his opinion, because family, friends and community were all that mattered. What was his was yours, whenever you needed it, because he loved you. He is survived by his wife, Gloria T. Lessan Leychen; his daughter, Ana Cristina Goñi-Lessan (Keith McCall); granddaughter, Frances Marceline McCall-Goñi; his brother, Miguel Goñi (Blanca Fuste); nieces: Blanca and Beatriz; and nephew, Miguel; his sister, Cristina Goñi (Javier Marti); his uncle, Placido Baamonde; and relatives in Galicia and the Pais Vasco in Spain. A mass will be held on May 29 at 1:30 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament, 653 Miccosukee Road. A celebration of life will be held afterward at Hummingbird Wine Bar, 1216-4 N. Monroe St. All are invited to both. Please wear your favorite colorful shirt. In lieu of flowers, please take a moment to ask someone how they’re doing or if you can do something for them. Invite someone to dinner or grab a beer with an old friend. Check in with your community, and show up for someone in need. Because that’s what he would have wanted, and it’s what he did best. And always leave a generous tip. Ashli McCall, of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) has the honor of assisting the family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Juan José Goñi Baamonde

March 16, 1959 - May 19, 2026