Deceased: 2016-11-21
Diocese: ST AUGUSTINE
Seminary Graduation Year: 1960
Terrell “Terry” Francis Solana was born on Dec. 3, 1932, and went home to Jesus on Nov. 21, 2016. He was the second born of three sons to Louis M. Solana and Virginia Martinez Solana of St. Augustine. He treasured his family lineage. The Solana family originated in the Kingdom of Navarra in the Valley of the Solonas in Spain. The family was awarded a crest from the King of Spain. It was awarded to them for fidelity and excellent service to their King. They married into many illustrious families. The Solana family is documented to have had a relative aboard the ship that landed at La Leche Shrine in St. Augustine, in 1565. Hence forth, the Solana family has occurred forward as a continuous family lineage with each generation to the present day.
Terry graduated from St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine, in 1950. Terry received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint John’s College in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1954, a bachelor’s degree in theology from Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, in 1958, a master’s degree in theology from Gregorian University in Rome, in 1960, and a master’s degree in counseling and human development from Troy State University in Alabama in 1992. Terry served most of his life as a priest and held the title of monsignor. He was ordained in Rome by Pope Venerable Pius XII. He worked within the Catholic dioceses of Florida that included St. Augustine, Pensacola-Tallahassee and Orlando. In 1966, Terry was appointed the first Pastor of Blessed Trinity in Orlando. In 1969, Terry became the Pastor of Holy Name in Niceville, Florida. In 1976, he was appointed Vicar General of the Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese. In addition to these roles, he served as a secondary teacher of English, Latin and philosophy, and as an administrator of a private high school.
To sum up his life as a priest, the beloved Monsignor Terry served the Catholic Church of Florida in ways that fulfill the words of Holy Scripture, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Following his retirement from the priesthood in 1996, Terry went to work for The Lutheran Services of Florida as a mental health counselor. He took his experience as a priest to LSF to help individuals and families deal with mental, emotional and belief disorders. There, a relationship formed with the love of his life, Karen Sims. They were married on Oct. 22, 2003. Terry’s life blessing was that he was the husband to Karen. After they retired, they moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia. Throughout their life together they enjoyed walking, jogging, hiking through the Georgia mountains and trips to Atlanta, Navarre, Fla., and St. Augustine to see their family. Terry was much loved as a friend, priest, teacher, husband, brother, step-father, step-grandfather and uncle. He is remembered by all for his love of photography. He was an award-winning photographer in just about every city he lived in. His vision for photography was that, “the Word of God would be brought to life through pictures.” He took tens of thousands of pictures throughout his lifetime that bear witness to the Word of God.
He is predeceased by his beloved wife Karen Sims Solana by only 27 days; father Louis M. Solana and mother Virginia Martinez Solana of St. Augustine; brother Clement A. Solana of St. Augustine; aunts Helen M. Neal of Marianna, Fla., and Lucille M. Matronni of Tennessee; grandfather Alfonso Martinez, of Puerto Rico; and grandmother Matilda Masters Martinez of St. Augustine; and nephew Bradley Louis Solana of Jacksonville. Among survivors are his brother Alfonso Martinez Solana and wife Gaye of St. Augustine; step-daughter Nicole Faggioni of Blue Ridge; step-son Tony Faggioni and wife Natalie; three step-grandsons Eli, Ethan and Gray, who affectionately knew Terry as “Pops,” of Navarre; nephews James Lewis Solana, Robert Anthony Solana of St. Augustine, and Jeffrey Alan Solana of California; and nieces Jacquelyn A. Jacquette and Patrice A. Stamper, both of Jacksonville
The family will receive friends 10 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, at the Carmichael Funeral Home in Smyrna, Ga., with a graveside service to follow at 1 p.m. at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta.