The Colorado House on Monday paid their respects to the late Speaker of the House Ruben Valdez, who died Oct. 1 at the age of 82.

Valdez was the first Latino Speaker of the House, serving in the House from 1971 to 1978 and as Speaker in the 1975-76 sessions.

Monday would have been his 83rd birthday.

Among those honoring Valdez during Monday’s memorial: former Speakers of the House Mark Ferrandino, Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Frank McNulty and Andrew Romanoff; former Rep. and Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, former Reps. Polly Baca, Fran Coleman, Nolbert Chavez, Wilma Webb, Andy Kerr, Dan Pabon, Don Mares and JoAnn Groff, as well as numerous members of the Valdez family and many friends, who lined the seats in the House. Former Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran, the House’s second Latino/a speaker, was out of town.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a memorial with so many former legislators before,” said House Majority Leader Alec Garnett, D-Denver.

Garnett recalled advice Valdez gave him after Garnett was first elected to the Colorado House: “These are the lessons you have to remember: don’t hesitate to cross the aisle, listen to everyone, even if they disagree with you, and take the time to thank the people who help run the institution. The Capitol is a great place.”

“I remember the day we named the campus in West Denver after him…such a humble man. He’s a workhorse, not a show horse, and never asked for credit,” said Ferrandino, now deputy superintendent of operations for Denver Public Schools.  

Speaker Valdez “inducted me into the Democratic Speakers Club, which doubled when I entered,” joked Romanoff. “Tell me who you walk with and I’ll tell you who they are,” Romanoff said, quoting Cesar Chavez.

He “might have been short, but Ruben was a giant in Colorado,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood, during the memorial. 

Several members of the state Senate also offered their condolences and words of admiration, including Senate President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo; Sens. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge; Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City;, Julie Gonzales, D-Denver; Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver; Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada and Chris Hansen, D-Denver.

Moreno remembered his brief run for Congress in 2018, and said the only good thing that came out of it was spending an afternoon with the Valdez family. “He was an institution in this building and his memory will live on much longer.”

Granddaughter Peggy Valdez told Colorado Politics after the memorial that “it’s hard to put into words how honored we are and how wonderful it is. We loved him as a father and grandfather bur for other people to appreciate him in the same way we do is incredible meaningful.”

The House adopted the memorial resolution on an unanimous vote.