Hector Estuardo Lavarreda

Hector Estuardo Lavarreda, 52, of East Haddam passed away suddenly on August 26, 2020. Born September 14, 1967 in Guatemala; he was a son of Eluvia (Mejia) Lavarreda and the late Edgar Lavarreda. Hector was a man whose life could not fit in a book with a million pages, nevertheless a few paragraphs in an obituary. But if we were to summarize his life with a word, it would be “compassion.” It seems trivial and cliché to say it, but the truth is that Hector was the embodiment of compassion-not just simple kindness, but compassion. He had a way of taking care of everyone-including strangers-that surpassed regular benevolence. Hector was the first to anonymously buy families Thanksgiving dinners and outrageously tip waiters, and he was the last to leave a party to make sure everyone got home. Hector worked endlessly to provide for his family, making sure we wanted for nothing. Cars, vacations, school tuitions, pets-he was more than a father. He was our “slowpoke hero.” Hector built himself from the ground up, having come from Guatemala, and made himself a beautiful life with three kids and a wife. Determination, grit, fortitude- all of these words paint a picture of Hector’s life, but only a fragment. Amongst his drive to work and achieve was a softer, brighter side of him- a side only seen by his family. Hector loved wine and fish, he loved nature photography and silly comedy. Hector planted flowers and fed hummingbirds, he ate ice cream by the gallon and most amusingly, burnt his grill every year. In closing, Hector was more than a father and a husband. Hector was a dreamer, an achiever, a man against all odds. He took care of his family, his mother, his brother, and complete strangers with a diligence that no regular human could ever compete with. On that note, we would like to finish with one of his favorite sayings. “Crack two eggs over it, ch ch!” He will be forever loved and remembered by his wife Jackie (Keating) Lavarreda of East Haddam; his children Jack Lavarreda of East Haddam, and Claire Elizabeth and Daniella Lavarreda of East Haddam; His mother Eluvia of Guatemala; his brother Alejandro Lavarreda of Guatemala, sister Maria Louisa Lavarreda of New York; his second parents Marie and Robert Valenti of New York; and numerous extended family and friends. Care of private arrangements has been entrusted to the Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Maya Educational Fund. https://mayaedufound.org/