Carlos Manuel de Torres IV

Carlos Manuel de Torres, IV departed this life on May 11, 2020, following almost immediately after his husband and partner of 48 years, Carlton Smith Grubbs.

Born on April 30, 1947 as Carlos Manuel de Torres Plasencia , he grew up in Havana, Cuba as the oldest son of his upper middle-class parents, Carlos de Torres, III and Maria del Carmen de Torres.

In September of 1961, Carlos fled with his brothers to Miami via Operation Peter Pan (14,000 children were able to escape the Castro regime). After enduring an extended time in a refugee camp, Carlos and his brothers were reunited with their parents and a younger sister. Carlos completed high-school in Miami and attended Belmont Abbey College near Charlotte, NC where he was in the Phi Kappa Theta Society and editor of the college’s literary magazine. Success at Belmont was rewarded with a full scholarship at the University of Virginia where Carlos secured a Master of Arts degree in English and comparative literature. His educational drive continued at the University of North Carolina where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Social Work. In 1978, Carlos and his partner relocated to Atlanta where Carlos became a Unit Director at Georgia Regional (psychiatric) Hospital. While continuing to work at the hospital until 1994, Carlos worked with Smith to launch a specialized furniture refinishing business and a design trade showroom at ADAC. After close of these businesses in 2015, Carlos joined Lamp Arts, where he continued to enjoy exercising his many talents in all things design.

Carlos is survived not only by a host of friends and beloved business associates, but by his brother Eduardo X. de Torres of Newton, NC, his brother Phillip J. de Torres of North Port FL, and his sister, Ana Maria de Torres of Tryon, NC.

A celebration of life will be had once times for gathering pose less of a danger to all.

Donations in the name of Carlos can be made to Remembering Ruthie Rescue and Santuary, P.O. Box 336, Martin, Georgia 30057.