Carlos Badilla

On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, Carlos Badilla Nava, devoted and loving husband, beloved father and tata passed away surrounded by the love of his family.

Carlos "Charlie" was born in Nogales, AZ on September 16, 1937. He was the 2nd son of the late Martin and Josefina Nava (Badilla). He was raised in Tucson, spending much of his childhood in La Reforma, which he recalled as a wonderful place to grow up. Carlos often fondly recounted stories of growing up in downtown Tucson, spending ten cents to see a movie at the Fox Theatre with money he earned from shining shoes or selling newspapers. He graduated from Tucson High School in 1956. He served in the Army National Guard and later became a carpenter. In 1965, he met the love of his life, Berta Julia Vasquez and they married on May 27, 1967.

Carlos had a passion for learning and truly valued the importance of education. In 1967, his love of learning led him to the University of Arizona where he graduated in 1970 with a BA in Education, becoming the first member in his family to earn a college degree. He went on to receive his Master of Education from the U of A in 1974. He began his career with TUSD in 1970 where he worked as a high school Spanish teacher, Asst. Director of Bilingual Ed, Vice Principal and as a 6th grade teacher, until he retired in 1994. Berta and his children recall running into his former students who greeted him warmly and told him of the positive impact that he had made on their lives.

Above all else, Carlos loved his family. He instilled in his children and grandchildren the importance of family. His dedication to and pride in his family was apparent to all who knew him. Carlos treasured his time with his wife and children, and especially loved being with all of his grandchildren. He built his and Berta's dream home in the Tucson Mountains, doing much of the work himself. Together, they created a warm and loving home where all were welcome and where they hosted countless family and friends for lively gatherings, large and small.

Carlos was a proud Chicano. He was an active member of LULAC in the 1970s and appeared as a frequent guest on a local Spanish language show, Teatro Mexicano, which aired on KGUN-9 in the 1970s. He had a mastery of the Spanish language and was an avid proponent of Bilingual Ed. As an active parishioner of St. Augustine Cathedral for over 45 years, he also gave his time translating countless documents into Spanish for the church. He loved mariachi music, good tequila and visiting Mexico as often as possible.

Carlos was filled with wanderlust. He immensely enjoyed traveling all over the country, as well as overseas. He took every opportunity to travel as often as possible, whether it be family trips to Spain, cruises to Europe or simple weekends in San Diego or Sedona. No trip was too big or too small.

Carlos is survived by his loving wife, Berta; his children, Laurie (Mark) McKenna, Carlos (Tina) Nava and Fina (Jason) Johnson; two brothers, Eddie (Alice) Nava and Emilio (Magui) Nava; sister, Carmen Robinson; nine grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He will be dearly missed and will live on in the hearts of all of his family and friends.

The family will host a memorial to remember Carlos and to celebrate his life at a later date.