A legendary educator was honored today for his impact on the local community.
Former Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi professor Dr. Leo Carrillo passed away in August. Carrillo spent 31 years at TAMUCC, retiring in 2003 as professor emeritus of Mexican-American studies.
Among Carrillo’s many accomplishments are the founding of the Garcia Arts and Education Center, and the introduction of Hispanic music studies at the school.
At city council today, Mayor Joe McComb presented Carrillo’s family with a certificate of accommodation, but not before sharing a memory about his former Spanish teacher.
“He was a lot of fun. The two things I remember about him is he always had a happy face. I mean I never – he always had a happy face,” McComb said. “He just had that confidence about him. And we learned a lot in the class.”
Dr. Carrillo was a native of Benavides, Texas and a graduate of Miller High School. He was 73 years old.
