Ernesto V. Portillo, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico and who established a 50-year career in Spanish-language radio in Tucson, passed away in the pre-dawn hours on Nov. 2, Día de los Muertos. He had celebrated his 92 birthday on Oct. 21.

He was born in San Francisco del Oro, in southern Chihuahua in 1933. He was the youngest of eight children born to Erasmo Portillo Jurado and Josefa Villalobos Portillo. He was preceded in death by his brother, Primitivo (Tivo) Portillo, Guadalupe (Lupe) Portillo Terrazas, Esther (Teti) Portillo Meza, Romelia (Rome) Portillo Wilson, Eva (Boibe) Portillo Muñoz, Trinidad (Trini) Portillo Muñoz and Ernestina (Titi) Portillo Garcia.

Toto, to his grandchildren, is survived by his wife of 70 years, Julieta Bustamante Portillo; daughter Dr. Carmen J. Portillo-Eckman (Douglas Eckman), sons Ernesto Portillo Jr. (Linda Portillo), Mario A. Portillo (Annette Anaya), Carlos R. Portillo (Rachel Duarte); grandchildren; Alita Emily Portillo, Nina Pilar Portillo, Maya Alessandra Portillo, Laurissa Carmen Portillo, Mario Rene Portillo and Carlo Vicente Portillo Eckman; and two great-granddaughters, Paloma Jane Portillo and Valentina Pilar Portillo Garcia.

In his final hours, resting in his Armory Park bedroom, he was surrounded by his wife, children, several nieces and nephews, and close friends.

On March 4, 1954, the day he arrived from Cd. Juárez, he began his radio career with KEVT-AM, Tucson's first Spanish-language radio station. He worked as an on-air announcer and later was a sales rep for the station. His elegant voice, on-air charm, and command of the Spanish-language captivated his listeners. His words and musical selections brought comfort to his listeners and acknowledgment to their lives.

In 1960, he left KEVT and became a sales representative for Guarantee Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Three years later, he returned to Spanish-language radio with KXEW-AM. In the following 20 years, he established himself as a visible representative for Tucson's Mexican American community. He led the transformation of KXEW, Radio Fiesta, into a critical source of community information, news and entertainment.

The station sponsored numerous public events at local parks, dances at El Casino Ballroom and the Tucson Community Center which opened in the early 1970s. Regional popular bands from the Southwest and Mexico, often stopped at KXEW on El Puente Lane, near West 29th Street and the Santa Cruz River.

More critically, under his leadership, KXEW opened the airwaves to community groups, teachers, students, activists, labor leaders, politicians, health promoters. He molded KXEW into a must-listen-to megaphone of local and national social and political changes.

In the mid-1970s, KXEW acquired an FM license which allowed the station to broaden its reach and programming. In the late 70s, for a brief two-year-period, KXEW-FM pioneered a unique bilingual format with a multi-genre musical format.

After a change of ownership, he became managing partner and part owner of KXEW.

In 1981, KXEW was sold and he embarked on his third radio station. He oversaw the construction and creation of KQTL-AM. He served as station manager, national sales manager and was part owner. He remained with KQTL until 2001.

In addition to his radio work, he was a once-a-week columnist for the Tucson Citizen newspaper from 1981 to 1997, and the Arizona Daily Star from 1998 to 2001.

He served on the board of directors for several organizations, including Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson, La Frontera Center, Tucson Airport Authority, and the Hispanic Professional Action Committee.

His awards include University of Arizona Liberty Bell Award (1971), University of Arizona Distinguished Citizen Award (1980), Tucson Trade Bureau, Tucson-Mexico Relations Award (1983), Minority Law Students' Association Community Service Award (1984), Tucson Ad Club Silver Medal (1984), Hispanic Professional Action Committee Man of the Year, Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2019) and La Frontera's Tucson International Mariachi Conference Hall of Fame (2025).

He loved the borderlands' history and in the mid-1970s, he helped grow the Kino Mission Tours with the Southwestern Mission Research Center. Years earlier, he and his wife led summer tours to Mexico through KXEW, called Peregrinación a Tepeyac.

One of his biggest contributions to Tucson cultural history was his role in helping establish the Tucson International Mariachi Conference under the auspices of La Frontera Center in 1983.

He became a United States citizen in 1958. From 1955 to 1962 he served in the Arizona Army National Guard, leaving as a staff sergeant. He was forever proud of his service to his country.

And for more than half his life, he made his beloved Patagonia his second home where, like he did in Tucson, endeared himself to the residents.

A rosary is scheduled at 9:30 AM on Saturday, Nov. 15 followed by a funeral Mass 10 AM at St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave. A private burial will follow in Patagonia.

In lieu of flowers, the Portillo family invites you to donate in his name, Ernesto V. Portillo, to:

Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, 352 E 25th St, Tucson, 85713 or East Santa Cruz Community Food Bank, PO Box 1147, Patagonia, AZ, 85624