Don Victorio, RIP

You might remember about my father-in-law, Don Victorio, because I wrote about him previously (see Don Victorio the Spaniard). Today I am writing about him to tell you some sad news: he passed away on Friday, June 12th, and he was buried on the next day. He had some complications and had to be hospitalized; sadly, he never recovered.

Don Victorio was stubborn as a mule and he was quite an odd character, as I wrote before. But first and foremost, he was a man of nobility and integrity, who raised six children with his lifelong wife without ever compromising his high ethical standards. A direct descendant of General Riego, he shared with his ancestor the passion for human freedom, dignity, and rule of law. This, together with his staunch, lifelong Catholicism, led him to be one of the founders of the Christian Democrat Party of Paraguay back in 1960, and stood against the totalitarian regime of General Alfredo Stroessner. Another passion of him was teaching, and he held a professorship in the Catholic University of Asunción for several years, and he was a teacher in several schools as well.

He was born into a wealthy family that shortly afterwards lost all money, and was thrown into poverty. Despite that, Don Victorio was a tireless worker, and could provide for his family well enough. Right now, no one of them is wealthy in money; but Don Victorio left them the best inheritance a man can leave his children: the sense of honor and integrity, and the unyielding commitment to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Please pray for the family: for the widow, the children, the grand-children. They are doing well enough, but we know that the upcoming months are going to be very difficult for them.

Good-bye, Don Victorio. I will miss our talks about “life, the universe, and everything”. May you rest in peace, dear suegro.

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