In Loving Memory of José Calahorra

Last week, the American School of Barcelona lost a member of its own family. José Calahorra, known to generations of ASB staff, students, and alumni simply as "José," passed away at nearly 98 years of age, leaving behind a legacy woven into nearly every part of our school.

From ASB's earliest days, José and his wife Julia were part of the school family, living, quite literally, on the school grounds with their young son, José Manuel, ASB's current Head of Facilities.

In the school's earliest years at Plaça Eusebi Güell, Julia cooked for the students, cared for them during lunch hour, and helped out in Kinder, while José kept the entire building and grounds running.

Electrician, plumber, painter, mover, repairman, there was no problem José couldn't solve, whether it meant fixing a broken record player before a music class or working through the night so the school could open its doors the next morning. No priority mattered more to José than the safety of ASB's students and staff; when a crane once fell onto the girls' bathroom, he was the first on the scene, and thankfully, school was not in session, and no one was hurt. That same commitment to safety remains a top priority for José Manuel on campus to this day.

In a 1972 letter, then-Headmaster Mr. John P. Deniston wrote to José directly to thank him, after twelve years observing staff across schools in four countries: "You are, without a doubt, the most hard-working and dedicated person I ever hope to meet... Without your cooperation and ability, the School would not be able to function as it does today." Deniston noted that José's workday often began at 6:00 a.m. and stretched past midnight, "and many times on Saturdays and Sundays."

When ASB moved to its current campus in Esplugues de Llobregat in 1979, José took charge of coordinating the move into the building the community affectionately called the "shoe box", the heart of today's campus. By the end of the 1970s, ASB had grown to 400 students in its new home, a growth whose physical foundations were laid under José's care.

For 34 years, he was, in the words of former ES Principal Nancy Boyd, "much more than the head of maintenance; he was the 'history,' the 'know-how,' and the 'know-where' to get whatever was needed."

The Calahorra story didn't end with José's retirement in 1992.

His son, José Manuel, once a fourth-grader in Ms. Nancy's class and remembered by his teachers as "a genius with electronics," graduated from ASB with the Class of 1984 and has spent his career at ASB, now serving as Head of Facilities.

"The Calahorra family, José, Julia, and José Manuel, were the heart and soul of the school back in the day," Ms. Nancy recalls. "The family has been part of ASB from its beginning to this day."

In his father's final years, José Manuel cared for him in his own home, a devotion that stayed true to everything the Calahorra name has meant here.

The connection now spans four generations. José Manuel's daughter, Jessica, also grew up at ASB and graduated in 2015. She recently returned to visit campus with her one-year-old daughter, Briana, the newest Calahorra to set foot on the grounds her great-grandparents once called home.

Former Spanish history teacher Ms. Rosa Ruiz, who met José in 1976 at the school's old Plaça Eusebi Güell location, remembers him this way: "He was always there for everyone. He knew every nook and cranny and secret of ASB... What beautiful memories, and how much affection. José Manuel remains to carry on your legacy at our beloved American School of Barcelona."

ASB extends its deepest condolences to José Manuel and the entire Calahorra family. For over sixty years and four generations, this family has been part of our school's fabric, and that legacy continues today, every time José Manuel keeps our campus running, just as his father once did.