Community leader and mentor Frank Hidalgo passed away earlier this month

The founder of the ASU Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute and ASU Los Diablos Alumni Chapter and Scholarship Frank Hidalgo passed away earlier this month, but his legacy will forever live on.

Danny Ortega met Hidalgo while the two were developing Los Diablos. Ortega says his friend was essential to evolving the chapter and making it a reality. When it came to the Latino community and ASU programs that are vital to them, Ortega says Hidalgo was involved with it in some way.

“The thing I remember about Frank was how friendly, warm and caring he was,” Ortega says. “I think if his legacy is about anything it’s about his sense of calmness, his generosity and his willingness to work hard for others. Frank didn’t talk very loud, but he carried a big stick. He left a legacy that many many will remember.”

Recipient of the Los Diablos scholarship Marcelino Quinonez didn’t know anything about Hidalgo until he watched him be recognized for the Lifetime Achievement Award. As the announcer was sharing all of the man’s achievements, Quinonez says he began to realize how much Hidalgo had affected his life. His brother had been a part of the Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute, and he recently wrote a letter of recommendation for a student to be admitted to the institute as well.

“I began to understand that the man who was being recognized and honored had actually touched my life in so many different ways,” Hidalgo says. “I made a point to go up to him after his recognition and introduce myself and thank him profusely for his work and effort to impact the Latino community.”