JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Padrica Mendez, a legendary opera singer and entertainer with deep roots in Jacksonville, died on Feb. 26.
Mendez grew up in the LaVilla neighborhood. Her father, Pedro Mendez immigrated from Cuba to New York, then to Jacksonville where he opened a tailor business that still stands today.
Padrica Mendez went from singing at Bethel Baptist Institutional Church to performances in Italy…