José Seijas, known for his long tenure as the former head of the Tabacalera de García and the founding of the company Matilde Cigar Company has died at the age of 74. Matilde Cigars posted his passing yesterday on social media saying;
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our founder, José Seijas, passed away this morning at home, surrounded by his loved ones. Exemplary man, loving father and extraordinary human being. His legacy will live on forever.”
Seijas was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 1950. He started working for Consolidated Cigar Corporation in 1974 when he was 24 years old. It was here that Seijas began to learn the meat and potatoes of the cigar business and he continued that journey when he took his next job at La Compañía Insular Tabacalera in the Canary Islands in 1978. During this time, he sharpened is skills and learned every step of the manufacturing process.
Seijas later took a job at Tabacalera de García in La Romana, where he would become a master blender. When he first joined Tabacalera de García, they primarily produced machine made cigars and Seijas helped oversee the transition of turning the factory into a handmade cigar factory during the 1980’s. Seijas created blends would later become household names such as the non-cuban versions of Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, VegaFina, Don Diego and H. Uppmann. In 2000, he was honored with the release of the José Seijas Signature Series.
Seijas retired from Tabacalera de García in 2011as the general manager and head blender of the factory. After decades of work and building the factory up, he left behind a legacy that will not be surpassed. In 2013, he founded Matilde Cigars with his son, Enrique, eventually taking the helm.
