Posting the eulogy I shared during the service:
My father was a man of boundless intellect and immeasurable compassion. Born in Peru, he was a beacon of dedication and resilience. He set an example for myself, my siblings, and his entire family as the oldest of 10. He showed us that through hard work and determination, you can overcome any obstacle life decides to throw your way, fair or not. His journey from Peru to the esteemed halls of prestigious universities and beyond was not just a personal triumph, but it set an incredibly high bar for the rest of us.
It is part of why I work so hard to try and exceed it. Graduating at the age of 21 with a Master’s in Computer Science from Cornell, leading a national nonprofit at the age of 24, receiving a scholarship from a billionaire to attend one of the most prestigious leadership programs in the country at age 25, getting promoted to a senior software engineer at age 26 and being able to create long-lasting intergenerational wealth and I still don’t feel even close to that goal. And every time I reminded him of that, he would remind me how proud he was of me. Still, I am determined to meet the high standard that my father set for me and exceed it by becoming an engineering leader in the tech industry and helping inspire the next generation of software engineers like me.
As a professor at Hampton University for 33 years, my Dad was more than just an educator; he was a mentor and a friend to his students. But his dedication was not just limited to academia; he was an explorer at heart, fluent in multiple languages, and his passion for cultures was infectious.
Yet, for all his achievements, I think it was at home where my father’s soul spirit truly came through. He was our anchor, our sage, and the voice of reason in our family. He taught us to swim, and I’m so grateful he did because that repetitive practice made me a more determined person. And now those efforts pay off because I can be 60 feet underwater and feel as comfortable as a clam in my scuba.
My father had many joys in life. He had an unmatched zeal for dancing. I loved it when he would dance with my mother at family events. One of their favorites was this popular Peruvian Huayno song called “Que Linda Flor” (What a Pretty Flower), and there are these lyrics:
Cajamarquina, tú eres mi amor, tú eres mi amor
Que te pareces a una rosa, a una rosa
which translates to:
Cajamarquina, you are my love; you are my love
that you look like a rose, like a rose
For context, Cajamarca is a city in Northern Peru, so Cajamarquina means a woman from that city.
And I know he loved that part because my mama’s name is Rosa, and she was his beauty or his rose.
Besides being a great dancer, my father was an avid reader, and he introduced me to two great works I’ll never forget: The Hobbit and The Count of Monte Cristo. Later, we would binge the Lord of the Rings trilogy together and the 1998 TV show they did for the Count of Monte Cristo with one of his favorite actors, Gerard Depardieu. He would make me sit through the entire 7-hour TV show in French, and I wouldn’t mind a bit because the subs were on. He had already instilled in me a love for all types of different cultures and taught me not to limit my world to just one town, state, or country.
I also remember fondly our trips to the Harrison Opera House when I was a kid, where we would watch “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Carmen,” and he’d be on a high and sing the whole drive back home. And I remember it was just often the two of us because everyone else would just fall asleep midway.
Papa, thank you for the unconditional love, the invaluable lessons, and the endless inspiration. Thank you for teaching me to swim so I can explore the ocean. Thank you for sharing your love of classical literature and music, which I grew to love. Thank you for molding me into the hardworking cynical optimist I am today. Thank you for giving me access to computer games at such a young age so that by the time I was 11, I already knew how to make PowerPoint presentations on my favorite movie at the time, the 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Thank you for guiding me constantly on my career journey and helping me become the tech-savvy chingona I am today. But most importantly, thank you for always believing in me, no matter what. Your legacy will live on through the lives you touched, and your spirit will forever be a guiding light for our family.
Speaking of light, I want to share a little history lesson. The Inca Empire was the largest in pre-Columbian America, and it rose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. In the Inca religion, Inti is the sun god, and he was believed to be the ancestor of the Incas. The Sun (in conjunction with the Earth) had the power over all food: it was by his will that crops grew and animals thrived. Therefore, the sun is the most important figure in Inca Religion as it is the giver of life.
So in closing, I say this: The sun may have set, Papa, but your light will never fade.
Thank you.
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