Armen Cuadra – teacher, chemist, and traveler – passed away on August 7, 2021 at the age of 94. In 1948, he came to the US as a student from Nicaragua and graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors and chemistry, physics, and philosophy. Years later, he obtained a Master of Arts degree in literature and secondary teaching credentials at Pacific Union College; and a community college degree from the State of California. While at Pacific Union College, he was appointed Teacher Assistant of the language lab.
Originally, he worked in the quality control department at the old Italian Swiss Colony winery; then he taught science, math, and Spanish at Healdsburg High school and at Redwood Adventist Academy in Santa Rosa. He also taught night school classes, including Viticulture and Spanish, to adults through the Santa Rosa Junior College.
In the 1960s, he belonged to the 20-30 Service Club. Together, with Hall of Fame nominee, Danny Novella, Armen was a pioneer in organizing ‘Alianza del Pueblo’, which was then a small, Federal agricultural and health cooperative to assist people of Hispanic heritage living in poverty, which now has become a private medical center, ‘Alliance’. With his wife Margaret, he traveled throughout all Canada and most of the US including Alaska. In addition, he visited New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, and Central America. “Healdsburg is is my sentimental home town”, he used to say because he lived here since 1955. Friends and strangers constantly enjoyed him teasing them humorously.
Frequently landscaping his yard, cooking without recipes, collecting baseball caps, and reading about world religions were his favorite hobbies. In 1958, he became a proud U.S. citizen; and in 1969 – a Seventh-Day Adventist. He gave credit for what he accomplished in his life to his father and to his wife, Margaret, to whom he was married for 52 years. Dennis, Gregory, Terry, and Armen Jr. are his beloved surviving sons together with several ambitious grand and great-grandchildren and innumerable relatives.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 2:00PM at the Healdsburg seventh-day Adventist Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ADRA of the same church for its charitable services.
