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Hugo Cardenas poses for this photo taken about two weeks before his death. (Submitted Photo) |
Hugo Cardenas was a man of gratitude and appreciation. He was vocal in his love for his adopted country and, in return, touched the lives of many through the Spanish language classes he taught for 30 years, on the sports fields, especially soccer, and through his community involvement.
Hugo was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1925 and settled in Hagerstown in 1959.
Julia Cardenas, Hugo's wife of 53 years, said her husband was destined to move to Washington County. His father was a great admirer of the United States and George Washington, giving his son the middle name of Washington.
Hugo had a strong desire to learn about U.S. culture and the English language, taking private English lessons to supplement what he was learning at the private boys' school he attended in Peru.
He had intended to become a chemical engineer, but when substituting for his English language teacher, discovered his love for teaching. After college, he taught English at the LaSalle Christian Brothers private school, where he had been a student.
"God was having other plans for him," Julia said.
Hugo and four childhood friends founded the Peruvian North American Cultural Institute to promote relations between the United States and Peru. The institute's success led to an invitation for Hugo to participate in a six-month cultural exchange to the United States through the U.S. Department of Education, allowing him to visit 32 states.
While visiting Maryland, Hugo came to Washington County and met Dr. William Brish, who offered Hugo a job teaching Spanish. Hugo declined so he could honor his two-year commitment to return to Peru and share the American teaching techniques he learned.
During that time, he met Julia at a tea for the cultural institute he helped found and they married in 1958. She encouraged her husband to contact Brish, whose job offer still held.
"We always wondered why he picked Hagerstown. His town in Peru is like Hagerstown — surrounded by mountains, people help you. It's the people," said son Steve Cardenas of Williamsburg, Va.
Hugo, who was known as Mr. C. or Coach Cardenas by his students, began his 30-year career teaching Spanish at North Hagerstown High School in 1959.
The couple, who had one son by then, also named Hugo, moved to Hagerstown. On a return trip to Peru, their second son Juan was born.
The Cardenas' and their two sons became U.S. citizens in 1966. Another son and a daughter completed the family, along with 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They lived in their Fountain Head home for more than 40 years.
"He taught us to appreciate what we had and never talk bad about the president. We should never do anything to embarrass the Cardenas name. If we did, we'd have to change our name," Steve said.
Son Juan Cardenas of Hagerstown said it wasn't that the Cardenas children weren't tempted to misbehave, "but everybody knew Mom and Dad," he said.
When Hugo learned that his college degree from Peru did not transfer to the United States, he got a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University and earned a master's degree from Millersville University in 1978, all while teaching full time and helping raise a family. He had 10 credits toward a Ph.D.
Julia learned English after the couple moved here. The family spoke primarily Spanish at home, so the children would be fluent in the language.
The Cardenas children also took Spanish while students at North High, so they could learn to conjugate words and to fulfill foreign language requirements for college. They enjoyed attending the same school their father taught at.
In addition to teaching Spanish at North High, Hugo taught graduate courses for teachers at Millersville University for 15 summers and started a Spanish language summer camp for high school students there that was expanded to Hagerstown. He taught evening classes at Hood College for many years and at Hagerstown Junior College.
Hugo was born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1925 and settled in Hagerstown in 1959.
Julia Cardenas, Hugo's wife of 53 years, said her husband was destined to move to Washington County. His father was a great admirer of the United States and George Washington, giving his son the middle name of Washington.
Hugo had a strong desire to learn about U.S. culture and the English language, taking private English lessons to supplement what he was learning at the private boys' school he attended in Peru.
He had intended to become a chemical engineer, but when substituting for his English language teacher, discovered his love for teaching. After college, he taught English at the LaSalle Christian Brothers private school, where he had been a student.
"God was having other plans for him," Julia said.
Hugo and four childhood friends founded the Peruvian North American Cultural Institute to promote relations between the United States and Peru. The institute's success led to an invitation for Hugo to participate in a six-month cultural exchange to the United States through the U.S. Department of Education, allowing him to visit 32 states.
While visiting Maryland, Hugo came to Washington County and met Dr. William Brish, who offered Hugo a job teaching Spanish. Hugo declined so he could honor his two-year commitment to return to Peru and share the American teaching techniques he learned.
During that time, he met Julia at a tea for the cultural institute he helped found and they married in 1958. She encouraged her husband to contact Brish, whose job offer still held.
"We always wondered why he picked Hagerstown. His town in Peru is like Hagerstown — surrounded by mountains, people help you. It's the people," said son Steve Cardenas of Williamsburg, Va.
Hugo, who was known as Mr. C. or Coach Cardenas by his students, began his 30-year career teaching Spanish at North Hagerstown High School in 1959.
The couple, who had one son by then, also named Hugo, moved to Hagerstown. On a return trip to Peru, their second son Juan was born.
The Cardenas' and their two sons became U.S. citizens in 1966. Another son and a daughter completed the family, along with 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They lived in their Fountain Head home for more than 40 years.
"He taught us to appreciate what we had and never talk bad about the president. We should never do anything to embarrass the Cardenas name. If we did, we'd have to change our name," Steve said.
Son Juan Cardenas of Hagerstown said it wasn't that the Cardenas children weren't tempted to misbehave, "but everybody knew Mom and Dad," he said.
When Hugo learned that his college degree from Peru did not transfer to the United States, he got a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University and earned a master's degree from Millersville University in 1978, all while teaching full time and helping raise a family. He had 10 credits toward a Ph.D.
Julia learned English after the couple moved here. The family spoke primarily Spanish at home, so the children would be fluent in the language.
The Cardenas children also took Spanish while students at North High, so they could learn to conjugate words and to fulfill foreign language requirements for college. They enjoyed attending the same school their father taught at.
In addition to teaching Spanish at North High, Hugo taught graduate courses for teachers at Millersville University for 15 summers and started a Spanish language summer camp for high school students there that was expanded to Hagerstown. He taught evening classes at Hood College for many years and at Hagerstown Junior College.
