Nash Hernandez

Nash Hernandez loved to be outdoors. We always knew we could find him in one of three places: toiling in his garden, sitting on the front porch watching the cars go by or riding around town on his go-go.

On September 10, Nash passed away to be with the Lord and his loved ones.

Born on August 13, 1940, to Mike and Josephine Hernandez in Denver, Colorado, he was the eighth of nine children.

His family relocated to a farm between Brighton and Fort Lupton when he was 7 years old. He attended elementary school on Old Highway 85 and spent the afternoons and summers working on the farm harvesting beets, cabbages and tomatoes. He left home as an early teen and went to work in construction.

Nash continued his love of earth and prided himself on having a green lawn and a beautiful flower garden. For decades he tended a fertile vegetable garden next to his home. He grew jalapenos, onions, calabazas, garlic, tomatoes, rhubarb and herbs. If you visited in the summer, you likely were sent home with fresh veggies. After he harvested this jalapeños he’d spend days roasting chile to use over the winter. If you visited then, you’ll remember how amazing it smelled.

Nash’s cooking would draw a crowd. For holidays and family gatherings Nash would be up early to make green chile, Spanish rice, enchiladas and beans. His family could tell what kind of mood he was in by the temperature of his chile. Let’s just say it was often picoso!

When he turned 80 a friend commented that he looked rather young for being an octogenarian. He said he never expected to live to be 83. His father died in his early 70s, his mother and siblings, except one, died in their 60s. According to Nash, he kept his youthful looks by eating raw jalapeños. Now you know the secret to the fountain of youth.
“It’s the chile,” he said,

When asked to recall his happiest memories he said immediately, “The happiest memory was when I married your grandma.”

He and Esther Cardenas met in the 1960s and married in the 1970s. They made their home in Fort Lupton. They hosted family parties with guitars, accordions, dancing and singing. Christmas was a big holiday, and their small house was always bursting with people.

“I never knew a Christmas until I married your Grandma,” he said with a smile.

Nash wanted everyone to remember him this way, “I tried to do the best I could with everybody.”

We agree that he did. His family thanks him for the memories, the amazing meals and the lessons he taught us along the way. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his children Liz Martinez, Buddy (Adele) Gomez, Linda (Norman) LaCoe and Salvador (Denise) Prieto all of Fort Lupton; grandchildren Joyce (Nestor) Martinez, Drew Martinez; Larry (Monica) Williams, Julie (Tom) Pennington; Buddy (Charlotte) Gomez, Carlos Gomez; Valerie (Burt) Burough, Daniel (Jennifer) LaCoe; Bianca (Ben) Prieto, Joseph Prieto and Julian (Scarlett) Prieto;  20 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. And nieces, Christina and Maria Gomez, of Fort Lupton, along with a host of other relatives across Colorado and Florida.

He is predeceased by his wife, Esther C. Hernandez; daughter Carolyn Duran; daughter-in-law Christine Prieto and grandson, Salvador Prieto, and brother Jesse Hernandez.

Donations may be made to the Knights of Columbus Council 4732 in honor of Nash's life.

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