In Memory of my Grandfather, Israel Bogarin Arguedas (1912-2006)

My paternal grandfather, Israel Bogarín Arguedas, whom we lovingly call 'Abuelo Chalo', was born on June 2nd, 1912. He passed away August 21st, 2006 at the age of 94 and he will be dearly missed.

I have many, many pictures (and memories) of my Grandpa. I have chosen several of my favorite ones to post here as part of my tribute to him.

(Click picture to enlarge.)

Picture description:

1- To say that my Grandfather was a hard worker is an understatement. In his younger years, he worked setting up railway tracks and asphalting roads in rural areas. Later he worked as a mechanic in the style of the truly professional engineer that he was. He solved all kinds of problems and did so with great expertise. His clients were his friends. This is the typical picture of him: working in his own shop, wearing jeans with stains of oil. He taught me that work is a blessing. I'm proud of the fact that he taught me how to change the parts of a drum brake and he also taught me the proper use of a broomstick. (Apparently, there's a right way to sweep!)

2- When I lived in Illinois, USA with my family, my Grandfather came to see us for a visit. He loved to shovel snow (I told you he loved to work!). In this picture he's making me smile. I remember I didn't want to face the camera because I was upset for some reason. It's one of my favorite pictures!

3- My Grandfather worked ALL the time, everyday of the year (except Sundays and some holidays like Christmas and Good Friday). He had a hard time accepting retirement from a profession he loved so much. This picture shows him on a visit to my house, when he no longer worked as a mechanic. He always wore blue jeans (cool!, huh!?). I think this picture was probably taken on a Sunday, because eventhough he didn't go to his shop to work, he still liked to go there and organize his tools.

4- This picture was probably also taken on a Sunday. It shows me and my younger brothers visiting my Grandfather's house (we lived about a kilometer away).

5- This is an old picture. It's a picture of my paternal grandparents. They were married in 1937, but my Grandfather was a widower since 1963. I never met my Grandmother Luz, who passed away when my Dad was just starting college.

6- This is the most recent picture I have of my Grandfather. My Dad is holding Fabi next to him and he's smiling back. It's really meaningful to me because Fabi and my Grandfather got to meet.

7- This picture was taken in the early '90s during a family trip to the beach (the Pacific Coast). Check out the car my Grandfather used to own...an old Willis. That car was adopted by a friend of the family who collects old models.

8- Every time my Grandfather went to the beach he did a lot of work (!) giving maintenance to the beach house we used to visit. However, every once in a while he indulged in sharing a swim with his grandchildren. This picture shows me and my brothers with my Grandfather at "Herradura Beach". Crystal clear water in those days....!

The next five pictures are in a separate collage because they are my absolute favorite pictures.

(Click picture to enlarge.)

9- My Grandfather surrounded by his grandchildren. This picture was taken sometime in the mid to late '70s.

10- The oldest picture we have of my Grandfather. (1943?)

11- My favorite picture of my Grandfather because he looks really happy. This picture was probably taken in the mid '90s.

12 - I love this family portrait from 1961. It shows my paternal grandparents with their 5 children. Left to right: Danilo, the youngest; Gerardo, the third eldest; Gonzalo, the second eldest; María, the eldest; and José, my Dad. They all married except my Aunt María.

Here's my paternal family tree:

My Grandfather had a total of 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

• Uncle Gonzalo is the father of: Erick; Catalina (who has a little boy named Daniel); Nazareth; Gabriela; Carmen and Isabel.
• Uncle Gerardo is the father of:Sergio (who has a little boy named Matías); Marielos and Diego.
• My Dad José is the father of:Mariluz (yours truly, Fabi's mom); Alonso and Fernando.
• Uncle Danilo is the father of:Rodolfo (who has two little boys, José Rodolfo and José Pablo) and Daniel (who has a little girl named Adriana.)
  

13- There's a beautiful story behind my last favorite picture. When my uncle Danilo (who normally lives in Panama) came to know that Fabi and I were visiting Costa Rica, he suggested that we all get together and take a picture of all the great-grandchildren of the family. It took me two months to call up my cousins and set up the meeting. Since Monday Aug. 21st was a holiday, we agreed we would meet at 10:00am for a picture session. The previous evening my grandfather had a health crisis and he had spent the night at the hospital.

As it turned out, my grandfather started to agonize while most of his family had gathered and he had passed away by the time the picture session was over. My Grandfather went to Heaven while he was in the hospital, accompanied by his daughter María and son Gerardo. It was such a blessing for most of the family members to be gathered nearby during such time: we were together to support each other over the news; while some people rushed to the hospital, others remained together in prayer.

The next morning we went to my Grandfather's funeral and now we believe his soul rests in peace. I personally like to believe he's not only in the presence of God in Heaven, but also that he was reunited with his wife after 43 years of being a widower. The only three family members who could not physically be at my Grandfather's funeral were my Uncle Gonzalo (who is recovering from open heart surgery and had to remain home), my Uncle Danilo who was on his way from Panama and my cousin Diego, who is in England at the moment. I'm sure they were there mentally and spiritually.

This last picture shows most of the cousins in order of age: Rodolfo, Mariluz, Daniel, Alonso (my brother, not in the picture), Sergio, Erick, Fernando (my brother, not in the picture), Catalina, Gabriela, Nazareth, Marielos, Carmen, Diego (not in the picture, presently in England) and Isabel.

I like to imagine that my Grandfather smiled when his soul was on his way to Heaven and he stopped by to see that most of his descendants were happy to be together during this special picture session.

My 'Abuelo Chalo' was a great example and he had a special influence in each one of us. I will always remember his humour, his dancing style and his strong personality. He was much more than just the 'head of the family' and a 'father'. He was also a responsible 'father figure' to many members of the extended family: his spirit of sharing was truly remarkable. I will make sure Fabi comes to know his Greatgrandfather...through my stories and mainly through my example.

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UPDATE
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Here you can see the album that resulted from the family picture session on Aug. 21st.