Editing Celia Cruz (section)

== Death ==
[[File: Celia Cruz mausoleum.jpg|thumb|right|Celia Cruz's mausoleum in [[Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx|Woodlawn Cemetery]], [[The Bronx]], New York]]
In August and September 2002, Cruz underwent surgery due to [[breast cancer]].<ref name="EU">{{cite news |title=Celia Cruz tiene cáncer cerebral |url=https://www.eluniverso.com/2003/03/01/0001/259/33CE2181F8324A239AA47CA45938AA7C.html/ |access-date=10 September 2021 |work=El Universo |date=1 March 2003 |language=es}}</ref> In November that year, Cruz fell during a concert in Mexico. She was diagnosed with [[glioma]], an aggressive form of brain cancer, and underwent surgery in December.<ref name="EU" /> Confident, Cruz said she did not shed one tear and that she was aiming to resume her artistic career.<ref name="EU" /> She finished recording her last album, {{lang|es|[[Regalo del Alma]]}}. In February, she appeared in public again at the [[45th Annual Grammy Awards]] to receive the award for [[Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album|Best Salsa Album]].<ref name="EU" /> In March 2003, the US Hispanic network [[Telemundo]] paid tribute to her. The event, titled {{lang|es|[[¡Celia Cruz: Azúcar!]]}}, involved figures such as [[Gloria Estefan]], [[Marc Anthony]], [[La India]], [[Gloria Gaynor]] and [[Patti LaBelle]] among others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/17/arts/celia-cruz-petite-powerhouse-of-latin-music-dies-at-77.html|title=Celia Cruz, Petite Powerhouse of Latin Music, Dies at 77|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=17 July 2003|access-date=17 June 2016|author=Pareles, Jon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://celiacruzfoundation.com/2003/02/04/telemundo-to-produce-tribute-concert-celia-cruz-azucar/|title=Telemundo to Produce Tribute Concert: ¡Celia Cruz: Azucar!|work=Celia Cruz Foundation|date=4 February 2003|author=Pardillo, Omar|access-date=5 July 2016}}</ref> This was her last public appearance.

On the afternoon of 16 July 2003, Cruz died at her home in [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]], at the age of 77. At her express wish, her mortal remains were first transferred to [[Miami]] for two days to receive the homage of her Cuban exile admirers at [[Gesu Church (Miami, Florida)|Gesu Church]], before a funeral Mass at [[St. Patrick's Cathedral (Midtown Manhattan)|St. Patrick's Cathedral]] and burial in the [[Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx|Woodlawn Cemetery]] in [[The Bronx]], New York.<ref>{{cite news|author=Ellen Pearlman|title=Azucar! Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz at the New World Theater|url=http://brooklynrail.org/2008/03/music/azcar-celia-the-life-and-music-of-celia-cruz-at-the-new-world-theater|newspaper=[[The Brooklyn Rail]]|date=April 1, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Townsend Rosa |author2=Vicent, Manuel |title=La muerte de Celia Cruz consterna al exilio cubano y a los artistas de la isla|url=http://elpais.com/diario/2003/07/18/espectaculos/1058479203_850215.html|access-date=24 July 2012|newspaper=EDICIONES EL PAÍS, S.L.|date=July 18, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=¡Azúcar en el cielo!|url=http://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/2003/07/17/escenarios/escen7.html|newspaper=El Diario de Hoy|date=July 17, 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021071617/http://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/2003/07/17/escenarios/escen7.html|archive-date=October 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/nyregion/thecity/25celia.html|title=Amid the Gravestones, a Final Love Song|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=John |date=2023-03-03 |title=Priceless Honor Bestowed Upon Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa |url=https://thetablet.org/only-in-print-priceless-honor-bestowed-upon-celia-cruz-the-queen-of-salsa/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=The Tablet |language=en-US}}</ref> An epilogue in her autobiography notes that, in accordance with her wishes, Cuban soil - which she had saved from a visit to [[Guantánamo Bay]] - was used in her entombment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://purehistory.org/celia-cruz/|title=Celia Cruz {{!}} PureHistory|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecubanhistory.com/2014/03/origen-de-la-musica-cubana-biografia-de-celia-cruz-video/|title=ORIGIN OF THE CUBAN MUSIC: Biography of Celia Cruz (Video) * * ORIGEN DE LA MÚSICA CUBANA: Biografía de Celia Cruz (Video). {{!}} The History, Culture and Legacy of the People of Cuba|website=Thecubanhistory.com|date=5 March 2014 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wearemitu.com/entertainment/25-azucar-facts-celia-cruz-will-make-love-even/|title=25 Azúcar Facts About Celia Cruz That Will Make You Love Her Even More|last=Mesa|first=Cristal|date=2018-02-28|website=Wearemitu.com|access-date=2019-10-02|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724111717/https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/entertainment/25-azucar-facts-celia-cruz-will-make-love-even/|url-status=dead}}</ref>