Ernesto Pascual Alvarado

Ernesto Pascual Alvarado, 78, of Denver, Colorado, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones.

Born in Fort Lupton, Colorado, on December 30, 1946, Ernesto was raised in both Fort Lupton and Denver.  He was born to migrant farm workers, his mother Dolores (Chavez) from Puruándiro, Michoacan Mexico and Pascual Alvarado from Monclova, Coahuila Mexico. Growing up in the harsh environment being from a migrant working Spanish speaking family that consisted of 9 brothers and sisters, he was raised to be strong, and with the love of being a first-generation American , he fought for his unalienable rights that were denied to most Mexican Americans: the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in this country.  Raised only speaking Spanish and in poverty, Ernesto carved a difficult path in higher education, excelling and being the first to achieve many accolades. A proud graduate of Fort Lupton High School, he went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, his master’s degree from the University of Denver, and later his doctoral degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He was highly proficient in both Spanish and English at an academic and professional level for both. It was his hope that his struggles and hard work in education would be followed by other family members and those from the Chicano and Indigenous communities.  

A lifelong learner and educator, Ernesto devoted his career to serving others.  Ernesto volunteered and served our country as a cavalry Sergeant in  Korea during the Vietnam War era.  He was always proud of his time of service and considered a military career when he was accepted to West Point Preparatory, but chose to return and pursue higher education.  Many of his endeavors included being a community organizer, mental health director, drug and alcohol abuse counselor, organizer for bi-lingual education, politician(Ran for House District 51 House of Representatives), school psychologist, ceremonial leader, and school administrator. His leadership, knowledge, and compassion shaped countless lives throughout his years of service. Even in retirement, Ernesto continued his work as a school psychologist and remained deeply committed to education, civil rights advocacy, and mental health advocacy for Veterans as well as the Indigenous , Chicano, and Mexican Migrant communities.

Ernesto was an amazing and extraordinarily gifted public speaker, writer and organizer. Numerous times he was asked to speak at conferences, and family events. This includes delivering the final commencement speech for the University of Colorado when he received his Doctorate as the honorary distinguished graduate, his speech was titled “How Do You Say Goodbye, ¿Cómo decir adiós?”.

On September 6, 1969 Ernesto married the love of his life, Maria Margarita Montoya. The two shared a beautiful marriage. Together they built a family rooted in love, learning, and cultural pride. Their story of love was a story built on fate as the families of both, while both were younger, tried to organize them to meet, both at the time kindly declined. It was Ernesto’s return from the service attending a dance in Brighton, Colorado where he laid eyes on the woman that he was meant to spend the rest of his life with, he fell in love and their story continued until the end of their times. They experienced numerous joys, outdoor excursions, world travel, cultural events and many experiences both could only dream of coming from impoverished backgrounds.

Ernesto’s life was rich with purpose, curiosity, and connection. Tano Quinquil (Silent Wind) followed his calling to the red road of becoming a healer through reconnecting with his Indigenous roots and offering his knowledge and energy to help others. This included research and connections of ancestral petroglyphs to his Native Mexico and Southwest roots and the world.  His love for travel and learning took him around the world to over 30 countries —to China, Australia, Mexico, South America, Europe and across the Southwest. A poet and writer at heart, he was inspired by poets such as Dylan Thomas and other classic writers that inspired his publication of poetry and books.  Ernesto was a fan of all professional sports as he was a long time Denver Broncos ticket holder and was also an extremely devoted fan of the Denver Nuggets.  More than professional sports and anything else was his undying love and joy for his grandchildren as he could always be found cheering on his grandchildren at their sporting events. He found joy in the countless books he read, friendship, and in sharing his unbelievable phenomenal large spectrum of knowledge and wisdom with others.

Ernesto is survived by his children Ignacio (Beatris) Alvarado, Alma (Nathan) Ross (Alvarado), and Arturo (Jamie) Alvarado; and his cherished grandchildren Maya Ross, Isabella Alvarado, Alessandra Alvarado, and Tomas Alvarado. His surviving siblings are Elisa Lucero (Alvarado), Eva Alvarado, Elydia Gallegos (Alvarado), Frank Alvarado.

Ernesto is preceded in death by his parents, Dolores (Chavez) and Pascual Alvarado, his siblings Estella Cardenas (Alvarado), Elena Cardenas (Alvarado), Enrique “Henry” Alvarado, Dolores Sanchez (Alvarado), Pascual Alvarado Jr.  and his dear wife, Maria Alvarado (Montoya).

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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