{"id":69982,"date":"2025-12-28T13:53:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T21:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=69982"},"modified":"2025-12-30T12:39:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:39:30","slug":"ricardo-el-tigre-pena-obit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/ricardo-el-tigre-pena-obit\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Ricardo \u201cEl Tigre\u201d Pe\u00f1a, the beating heart of S.F.\u2019s Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you got off BART at Mission and 24th streets and followed the colorful papel picado hanging above the Latino Cultural District corridor, you may have met the man responsible for putting it up. And if you didn\u2019t meet him, chances are Ricardo \u201cEl Tigre<strong>\u201d <\/strong>Pe\u00f1a saw you pass by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/es\/sf-mission-ricardo-el-tigre-pena-obituario\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/es\/sf-mission-ricardo-el-tigre-pena-obituario\/\">Lee esta historia en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo was regularly outside his store, Mixcoatl, on the corner of 24th and South Van Ness Avenue, selling Mexican gifts, jewelry, sage, native-design jackets, serapes and the famous luchador masks. He kept his eyes on 24th Street and greeted everyone who passed with respect and love. Ricardo was both guardian and greeter of the corridor, consistently present and always available to those who needed assistance. And he will be sorely missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo Pe\u00f1a passed away suddenly early on Dec. 8. He was 54 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1.jpg?resize=600%2C399&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C399&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1-scaled.jpg?resize=360%2C240&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/09092024-PAPELPICADO24TH-ET-PU-FOLDER-16-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ricardo Pe\u00f1a, 53, waits to be handed a long string of papel picado across 24th Street in the Mission District, in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2024. Pe\u00f1a, the owner of Mixcoatl, a specialized authentic Indigenous handmade jewelry store, says that there are 17 to 20 lines of papel picado per block. \u201cThis is what the community loves to see,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cIt is a lot of work, but this is also one of the most beautiful times of the year.\u201d Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote\/CatchLight Local<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He leaves behind a loving family of danzantes, including his wife and co-owner of Mixcoatl, Connie Rivera, and their two children, Xochitl and Cuaht\u00e9moc. Together, they led Grupo Mixcoatl An\u00e1huac, performing Aztec dance and ceremonies throughout the Mission District and beyond. Originally from Toluca, Mexico, Ricardo came to San Francisco with Connie more than 30 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Donate: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mealtrain.com\/trains\/r08qov\">Support Connie and her family amid loss<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Although we crossed paths at many community events over the years, I really got to know Ricardo five years ago at the Mission Food Hub. During the pandemic, Ricardo helped distribute 50-pound boxes of food to thousands of community members in need. Connie was one of the managers of the Mission Food Hub, and together, they were often the last two people you saw after receiving your box of beans, rice, tortillas, celery, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, carrots, apples, yogurt and milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo radiated a calm kindness and warmth that complemented Connie\u2019s bubbly chatter, jokes and smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since then, Ricardo has been a close collaborator. He joined our community research group, Somos Esenciales, at the Mission Food Hub in 2021 to investigate the toll that COVID had taken on Latino mental health. He spoke honestly about the stigma Latino men often place on mental health \u2014 that seeking help means \u201cyou\u2019re crazy,\u201d and therefore something to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=360%2C240&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-149-1.jpg?w=2000&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ricardo Pe\u00f1a co-led Grupo Mixcoatl An\u00e1huac with his wife, Connie, performing Aztec dance and ceremonies throughout the Mission District and beyond. Photo: Alexa LexMex Trevi\u00f1o<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo also believed deeply that danza and music could heal mental and emotional wounds. He saw dance and drumming as a way of communicating with the universe, projecting prayers through movement and sound to bring peace, collective empowerment and spiritual connection. Aztec dance, he believed, could cleanse your troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, Ricardo wanted to help others overcome depression and anxiety by applying what he was learning about cognitive behavioral therapy. He became a mental health promotor, a role he took seriously and with great care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo had never gone to college, but he was a natural psychologist. In many ways, this work reflected what he had always done: listening deeply, steadying others, and helping people find their footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:30.82056%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"2560\" data-id=\"69990\" data-link=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?attachment_id=69990\" data-url=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ricardo-_Tigre_-10-320x480.jpg\" data-width=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ricardo-_Tigre_-10-320x480.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:69.17944%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1333\" data-id=\"69986\" data-link=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?attachment_id=69986\" data-url=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-33-1-600x400.jpg\" data-width=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-Mixcoalt-Anahuac-LexMex-33-1-600x400.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\" style=\"margin-top:-25px;\">Ricardo Pe\u00f1a co-led Grupo Mixcoatl An\u00e1huac with his wife, Connie Rivera, performing Aztec dance and ceremonies throughout the Mission District and beyond. Photo: Alexa \u201cLexMex\u201d Trevi\u00f1o<\/figcaption>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo was also my friend, somebody I talked with often about the challenges of being a father. We talked often about raising our teenagers. His 15-year-old son, Cuaht\u00e9moc, is close with my 16-year-old daughter, Luna. They go to the same school. Luna is a dancer, and Cuaht\u00e9moc is a drummer with Grupo Mixcoatl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, Luna travelled with the entire family to Los Angeles, including Cuaht\u00e9moc older sister, Xochil, to perform at a ceremony there. Afterward, Ricardo and Connie brought Luna back to my house in a Suburban packed with new Mexican products from Olvera Street. They were all exhausted, but Ricardo still smiled and hugged me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo and I were both Latino artists who understood how important it is to balance family responsibilities while remaining committed to our crafts. He was a drummer and an Aztec dance jefe, a leader in that tradition. I am a well-known poet, theater maker and educator from the Mission District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We both loved the 24th Street community and had lived and worked there for more than 30 years, alongside many of the same friends. Over the years, we collaborated on performances, classes and workshops at Acci\u00f3n Latina, KQED, Calle 24 and CANA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:63.94627%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1351\" data-id=\"69993\" data-link=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?attachment_id=69993\" data-url=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1254-600x450.jpg\" data-width=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1254-600x450.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:36.05373%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"2560\" data-id=\"69994\" data-link=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?attachment_id=69994\" data-url=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1285-360x480.jpg\" data-width=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1285-360x480.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\" style=\"margin-top:-25px;\">Left: Paul Flores\u2019 daughter, Luna, celebrates Xilonen, an Aztec coming-of-age ceremony, with Grupo Mixcoatl An\u00e1huac, which was led by Ricardo Pe\u00f1a and his wife, Connie Rivera. Right: Luna Flores with Connie Rivera. Courtesy photo: Paul Flores<\/figcaption>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see the depth of Ricardo\u2019s impact in the hundreds of people who gathered for nine consecutive nights, through Dec. 16, at the corner of 24<sup>th<\/sup> Street and South Van Ness Avenue to remember him \u2014 singing, praying and accompanying him on his journey to the ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was always available for the community. I never heard him say no to a request for help. He showed love to everyone. I watched him show love to his wife Connie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Acci\u00f3n Latina 50th anniversary gala a couple years ago, Grupo Mixcoatl performed the opening ceremony at St. Mary\u2019s Cathedral Event Center. After their performance, Connie joined the party, while Ricardo retired to his car a little early and waited patiently in the parking lot for more than three hours until Connie finished celebrating. She was one of the last to leave. Ricardo wanted to be there to open the door for her and take her home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I witnessed his patience and guidance with his son and daughter, Cuaht\u00e9moc and Xochitl. During one ensayo, Ricardo was instructing his son on a drum rhythm when Cuaht\u00e9moc added a stylistic flourish. Ricardo stopped the rehearsal and calmly told Cuaht\u00e9moc the rhythm had to remain the same. This was not the moment to add personal flair to a traditional song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"582\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=582%2C480&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=582%2C480&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 582w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=303%2C250&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 303w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=768%2C633&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=1024%2C844&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?resize=400%2C330&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Mixcoatl-2013-MCCLA-Adrian-Arias.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Grupo Mixcoatl An\u00e1huac members in traditional Aztec regalia at a gathering in San Francisco\u2019s Mission District. Courtesy photo: Adrian Arias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another time, Connie and Ricardo paid for my daughter Luna to catch an Uber from 24th Street and Mission to meet me in El Cerrito. I also watched Ricardo guide my daughter through the Xilonen rites of passage with Grupo Mixcoatl Anahuac, offering her the same love and care he gave his own children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was lucky to have known him. We were lucky to have walked with him. And now, we honor him by carrying forward that same love for our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Que viva Ricardo Pe\u00f1a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H\u00e9roe de la Misi\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU.jpg?resize=600%2C399&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C399&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=360%2C240&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1363&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C798&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=1568%2C1043&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1331&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09122025-RICARDOPENA-ET-PU-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C266&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ricardo Pe\u00f1a stands on 24th Street during his installation of papel picado for the lead up to D\u00eda de los Muertos in the Mission, in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2024. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote\/CatchLight Local<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tributes for \u201cEl Tigre\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>El Tecolote<\/em> asked the community to share their favorite memories of Ricardo Pe\u00f1a. The responses below have been lightly edited for clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to submit your memory? <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSc6ZEBxH66VdgWjXgq0mCBCbANs_XJQUtus_j7PMeLuyuZvjQ\/viewform?usp=dialog\">Share it here before Jan. 5<\/a> to be considered for publication in an upcoming print edition of El Tecolote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>His eagerness to share his culture. He never treated me as an outsider. He was always open and willing to answer my questions and treated me like family. He gave hugs that made you feel welcome and at home. \u2014 Seth MacKenzie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo, thank you for guarding these streets. Thank you for offering your love and wisdom to la Misi\u00f3n. God gave me the gift of watching you do your rounds each night around 10 or 11 p.m., surveying the neighborhood and noticing the small but important changes others missed. I wonder now who will walk your dog, who will help us close each night in la Misi\u00f3n. What I know is that your energy and love are still here. Gracias por todo, Tigre. \u2014 Gloria Aguirre<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo was a literal ray of sunshine. Every time I walked by Mixcoatl with guests, he welcomed us with a huge smile and said how happy he was we visited. I can still hear him telling my guests, \u201cPlease come back. We\u2019ll give you a discount!\u201d My heart is broken. The Mission gained an incredible ancestor. \u2014 Eric Curry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo was especially friendly, helpful and patient with my niece and me at the Aztec dance classes at the Mission Cultural Center. We were honored to have known him. \u2014 Dr. Annie Rodriguez<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I remember most about Ricardo is how he supported his wife and let her shine. He carried a calm, steady presence that felt like the foundation for her strength and fire. \u2014 Anissa Malady<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tengo muchos recuerdos muy bonitos de \u00e9l y su familia. Siempre lo recordaremos por su amabilidad y su gran coraz\u00f3n. Ense\u00f1\u00f3 a ni\u00f1os y j\u00f3venes la tradici\u00f3n de la danza. Cuando mi hijo ten\u00eda 3 a\u00f1os, le gustaba tocar el tambor, y Ricardo lo dej\u00f3 tocar a su lado. Definitivamente se le extra\u00f1ar\u00e1 much\u00edsimo. \u2014 Nancy Ortiz Franco<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Para el aniversario 40 de El Tecolote, le ped\u00ed al Tigre que nos ayudara con una danza. Y se llev\u00f3 a todo el grupo, tambores y todo. Generos\u00edsimo. Inmenso coraz\u00f3n. Mis condolencias a Connie, a sus hijos y a todo el barrio que am\u00f3 tanto como a su familia. \u2014 Francisco Barradas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ricardo played the drum for Grupo Mixcoatl at MCCLA, teaching free classes for many years. I was captivated not only by the dance but by the drumming. It carried the rhythm and allowed us to transcend through movement and ancestral memory. Ricardo was always kind, patient and smiling. \u2014 Adrian Arias<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My favorite memory of Ricardo is seeing him at the huehuetl with his son beside him while his wife and daughter led dance practice. Ricardo made my first pair of ayoyotes before I moved away. I hold so much gratitude for him and his family. \u2014 Giselle Escamilla<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The beloved cultural keeper will be deeply missed by his wife, Connie, his two children, and hundreds of Aztec danzantes and community members.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88922,"featured_media":69992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"above","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25226,4],"tags":[],"coauthors":[25554],"class_list":["post-69982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-voices","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin 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