From his behind-the-scenes work with Old Spanish Days Fiesta and the now-defunct Uptown Lions Club to his involvement in establishing a sister-city relationship with Puerto Vallarta, Hidalgo had a deep and fierce passion for the community he called home for 87 years.
“He loved Santa Barbara,” said Cheli Hidalgo, one of his three daughters. “He just liked the history.”
Gathered in the living room of Hidalgo’s Riviera home, where he spent the last 44 years with a sweeping view of the city and ocean, his children reflected on the long and storied life of their father.
Born on Feb. 16, 1919, Hidalgo arrived in Santa Barbara as a 3-year-old toddler, having moved from Texas. He attended Harding School and Santa Barbara Junior High School. While he didn’t finish high school, he later went on to earn his Realtor’s license from Santa Barbara City College and developed a successful career in the local real estate market.
In his younger years, Hidalgo played piano with a big band ensemble at El Paseo restaurant and owned a television shop on lower State Street.
In 1950, he married his wife, Cuca, and had five children — Berta, Carlos, Cheli, Maria and Richard, Jr.
Through his heavy involvement in the Lions Club, Hidalgo made numerous connections throughout the community and was urged to pursue a seat on the City Council.
In 1971, he was appointed to the council following the death of a sitting councilmember and served until 1972. During that time, he began to promote the idea of improving MacKenzie Park through the Lions Club.
By the time his colleagues on the board of Old Spanish Days named him El Presidente in 1979, Hidalgo’s ambitions for the park had grown. That year, he established El Mercado del Norte at the locale on upper State Street.
“He wanted to break away from De la Guerra Plaza and create a family-friendly place where you could take your kids,” his son Carlos said.
Bill Redding, a past El Presidente who met Hidalgo through the Lions Club, said once his longtime friend had an idea in his head, he followed it through to fruition.
“It’s amazing what you can get done if you don’t worry about who gets the credit,” Redding said. “He was kind of the promoter behind the scenes, getting people excited about things.”
Another longtime friend and past El Presidente Robert Kallman had similar things to say about Hidalgo, who he described as highly respected by everyone who knew him.
“He could get things done without getting too many people mad at him,” Kallman said. “Richard always had the ability, it seemed to me, to get people smiling and shaking hands and working together.”
Taking credit for a job well done didn’t seem to be her father’s main concern when he set himself to a task, Maria Hidalgo said.
In fact, he rarely mentioned the award for heroism that he received from the Lions Club for calming down a group of spooked horses threatening to run into the crowd during the Fiesta parade in 1962.
“He never talked about it, but we knew about it,” she said.
Beyond his passion for serving the community, his children said Hidalgo loved to read and stressed education when they were growing up.
He preferred nonfiction, Carlos said, likely due to his love of history.
“He couldn’t get enough of it,” he said.
Despite his busy lifestyle, Hidalgo would rarely miss a chance to host a serious backyard barbecue with family and friends.
“He loved to barbecue ribs,” Cheli said. “He taught my brother and everyone how to barbecue.”
In addition to family gatherings on Sundays, Hidalgo was also instrumental in creating a social gathering place for the local Hispanic community through the formation of the Union Civica Mexicana.
His desire for social interaction remained strong in his older years and he became a familiar face at City Lot 12 on Gutierrez Street, where he worked the parking kiosk several days a week for a decade.
Maria recalled how he would refer to older drivers who came through his lot as “young man” or “young lady,” always putting a smile on their faces.
“They really got a kick out of it,” she said.
He had continued to work up until a few days before his death, Cheli said, when he started to get too tired and decided to give up the gig. His passing came quickly, she said, following a stroke.
She said she is glad her father had a chance to see all his old friends and family during his 90th birthday celebration at the Carriage Museum last month.
Friends and family will gather again at 11 a.m. tomorrow for funeral services at the Welch-Ryce Funeral Chapel, 15 E. Sola St. Viewing is today from noon to 8 p.m. at the same location, and a celebration of his life will follow the services tomorrow at the Carriage Museum.
In addition to his children, Hidalgo is survived by his brother, Reuben, as well as 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. His wife died in November and his son, Richard Jr., passed away recently as well.
“He had a great smile, just a wonderful smile,” Redding said of his longtime friend in closing. “I don’t know that there was anything bad that could ever be said about him. He epitomized to me, as much as anybody, the warm hospitality of the pleasant people who call Santa Barbara home.”