Member of several Rogue Valley boards remembered for efforts to bridge cultural gaps

An early voice for Hispanic rights in the Rogue Valley has been stilled.

Claudino Padilla, a former Los Angeles florist who retired to serve on countless local nonprofit boards and committees, died late Monday in a Medford hospital. He was 88.

Friends and colleagues remembered Padilla as a role model who first advocated for Hispanic rights and concerns in a largely Anglo community.

"He was a figure for the Hispanic community in a time when there were not so many people here," said Milo Salgado, 53, who’d known Padilla since the mid-1980s.

Back then, and for the next two decades, the dapper man with the quiet demeanor insisted on asking pointed questions when he served on boards of entities such as Southern Oregon University, Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, OnTrack Inc. and ACCESS.

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"He’d ask, ‘Do you have the paperwork in Spanish? Have you reached out to the Latino community?’ " recalled Patty Claeys, executive director of ACCESS.

"He brought cultural issues forward that other board members might not have thought of."

Padilla was a founding member of several cultural agencies, including the Hispanic Clearing House, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Clinica Azteca, Centro Hispano and the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon.

He was the first recipient of the Maria Wiebenga Community Service award, which recognizes advocacy.

Even as Padilla challenged the dominant community to consider Hispanic concerns, he urged Hispanics to embrace integration, friends said. Growing numbers of Hispanic homebuyers and Hispanic business owners were particularly satisfying, Padilla indicated in a 2004 interview.

His message wasn’t lost on a younger generation, said Maria Ramos Underwood, 35, of La Clinica del Valle health center in Medford.

"He was the first person who was truly bicultural who inspired those of us who came after him," she said. "In a gentle way but a firm way he said that it’s OK to ask for parity of services."

With Hispanics now comprising as much as 15 or 20 percent of Jackson County’s population, there are more people willing and able to volunteer for community agencies, Salgado said. One Hispanic person no longer offers a single voice for the entire community.

But when Padilla spoke for the community, his voice was strong and firm, Salgado said.

"He was always present where he was needed," Salgado said.

Padilla is survived by his wife, Yvonne.

A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford.

Family members request contributions be directed to ACCESS, 3630 Aviation Way, Medford, OR 97501.

Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail jaleccia@mailtribune.com.