Save for later HUGO ALVARADO: _Refugee. Artist. Mentor. Humanitarian. Born July 16, 1948 in Santiago, Chile; died May 23, 2020, while awaiting double lung transplant, in Edmonton; aged 71._

The young man boarding an Air Canada flight in Santiago, Chile, in 1976, spoke no English. Still, he understood when the captain said, “Mr. Alvarado, welcome to Canada,” as other passengers

applauded and cheered. By international law, once aboard a Canadian aircraft, Hugo Alvarado had entered the country. The embassy personnel encircling him for protection could now disperse,

and a nun from the convent where Hugo had been hidden for several weeks managed to toss him a bag containing $5 Canadian, clean underwear, toothpaste and a toothbrush. Three years earlier,

to save his until Canada agreed to accept him as a political refugee. Upon arrival in Toronto, Hugo was asked where he wanted to go. When he said he knew nothing about Canada, the

immigration officer pointed to a map and suggested Hugo pick a spot. Hugo put his finger on what he said looked like “the middle of Canada.” “That’s Saskatoon,” the officer said. While

Hugo’s selection was by chance, his decision to remain in Saskatoon was by choice. Caring people helped him find work and shelter. He quickly decided this community would be his home and

that he would do what he could to help others. After art classes at the University of Saskatchewan, Hugo became a professional artist at 30, painting vibrant cityscapes and landscapes, still

lifes and figures. He sought to use his art to lift up others and started a number of gallery collectives over the years and co-founded the Prairie Sculptors’ Association. He taught adult

art classes, encouraging students to find their own style. “There are no prima donnas in my class, including me,” he told them. Hugo was a passionate, loving and gentle man who wore his

heart on his sleeve. He was a master at relating stories, in many of which heartfelt emotion was not far from the surface. The combination of his choking up slightly and heavy Spanish accent

could make him difficult to follow, but everyone knew Hugo’s stories always ended with the message: “Do good and be kind.” He said his parents would be proud of the life and Canadian family

he established. A first marriage to Sharon, a fellow student he met while learning English at community college, produced two sons, Ricardo and Jose. In the early 1990s, Hugo met Julie at a

small gallery where she worked as a picture framer. During their 26 years together, they raised two daughters, Raquel and Paloma. Hugo always proudly updated friends on the activities of

his four children as they established their lives. And his family learned to live with the fact that, immersed in painting, he was often late or missed appointments altogether. Hugo never

stopped creating art or “paying it forward.” He co-founded Artists Against Hunger in 1991, helped raise money for the Saskatoon Crisis Nursery, local theatre and countless community

organizations and relief efforts. In recognition of his contributions, he was named CTV Saskatoon’s Citizen of the Year in 2017. “He never said no when asked for help,” friend Don Greer

noted. Canada’s warm welcome to a refugee made our country richer and stronger. Eric Cline is Hugo’s friend. _To submit a Lives Lived: [email protected]_ _Lives Lived celebrates the

everyday, extraordinary, unheralded lives of Canadians who have recently passed. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go online to __tgam.ca/livesguide_