Richard “Abue” Barragan gave everything he had to Heritage Elementary School.
The grandparent and volunteer would always help during school functions, he held free-family art lessons after school hours and would just help students and staff in any way that he could.
Barragan developed a special bond with the kids at Heritage Elementary. They called him “Abue” for Abuelito. His grandkids would call him Abue, and the name caught on with the rest of the kids.
“Everyone at the school knew him for just how gifted he was and how great he was with the kids,” said his daughter Jessica Barragan. “He was always trying to help and trying to offer suggestions and advice and doing anything he could to try and help raise money for the school.”
But Barragan’s legacy is best recognized for his contributions to Heritage’s annual Chalk Festival.
Year after year, students would showcase their artistic side by creating chalk drawings on the school’s blacktop. After the festival, the pieces of art would get stepped on or washed away.
Barragan, however, sought a way to keep the valuable art work while raising money for the school.
He had suggested putting the students’ chalk art on canvass to preserve the chalk art.
The festival took up his suggestion a year ago as they had students draw on card stock, attached a frame around it and auctioned them off with all proceeds going back to the school.
“It was always his passion to see the chalk not just be on the ground but do something where it could be timeless and a framed piece,” Jessica Barragan said.
Barragan had passed away on March 21 at 72 years-old after a bout with cancer.
Even through his cancer treatments and chemotherapy, Jessica Romine said her dad was still present on campus helping around in any way he can.
In honoring Barragan, the Parent Teacher Organization renamed the annual festival after him.
“This will be an annual event from here on out dedicated in his name,” said Gina Albertini- Bennett, PTO president. “Every year it will now be known as the Richard “Abue” Barragan Chalk Festival.”
The festival’s first year as the Richard “Abue” Barragan Chalk Festival was on May 21.
Students painted on canvass, as Romine had always wanted, and auctioned off their chalk art. They also made banners dedicated to Barragan and a silent auction wall dedicated to Barragan.
“For the Chalk Festival, he offered a lot of his talent,” Romine said. “Anybody that needed some help with tweaking their art work or maybe help draw something someone couldn’t draw or simply offer suggestions.”
Albertini-Bennett said Barragan has done so much for the school that it was time for the school to do something for him.
“This was something we felt it was the least we could do,” she said. “It’s a huge loss not having him here with us.”
