| Physician and civic leader, Dr. Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa was born in Tlalpan, Mexico, on December 19, 1922. When he was a year old, his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, where Leonides attended elementary school. In 1937, when he was 15, his family moved to Laredo, Texas. He graduated from Laredo Martin High School in 1940.
Throughout his childhood he took piano lessons and became an accomplished pianist. He earned a degree in music from St. Edwards University in 1943.
In 1946, he graduated from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, in Chicago, Illinois. That same year he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
In 1951, he and his wife moved back to Laredo, Texas, and he began practicing surgery at Mercy Hospital. In October 1958, he was named a trustee of Laredo Junior College and of the Laredo Independent School District. He worked tirelessly to further the educational opportunities of area youth.
In September 1968, he and his brother, Dr. Joaquin G. Cigarroa Jr., and his sister, Rebecca Cigarroa Urbe, created a charitable foundation in memory of their father, Dr. Joaquin G. Cigarroa Sr.,
to provide scholarships and promote school activities, especially athletics.
Dr. Cigarroa died of a cerebral hemorrhage on June 19, 1973, at the age of 50. He was a humanitarian, educator, philanthropist, and dedicated civic leader as well as a skilled medical practitioner. |
