Lives Lost: Spanish father leaves behind bits of history

Julián Iglesias could always connect with his loved ones through his gaze, even after dementia stole his memory.

“Maybe he didn’t recognize me, but re was always something in his eyes,” daughter Victoria Iglesias said.

man who tucked newspaper clippings into his books, who earned two degrees following Spain's tough transition to a democracy, who loved walking in nature and collecting ggets, died in a Mrid hospital March 26 of coronavirus.

Like thousands of or Spaniards who fell ill, 89-year-old was alone when he died. That's especially hard for Victoria Iglesias, who said she, her sister and mor regularly visited her far in his nursing home on outskirts of Mrid and would have been at his side in his final hours if t for Spain's mandatory lockdown.

“ pain is very deep,” she told Associated Press in a video call days after his death.

family has been separated since pandemic plunged Spain, one of hardest hit countries, into a lockdown last month.

Victoria Iglesias' mor does t even kw she is a widow yet. Her daughters agreed y would only tell her once y could hug her.

Though her far h dementia, inability to say goodbye is just as devastating. “Did he think we abandoned him?” she wondered.

Born in Salamanca in 1931 to a humble family of eight children, Julián Iglesias survived hardships of 1936-39 civil war and country’s transition to a democracy. A dedicated student, he earned a degree in business and later one in teaching — easy feat for his time — and moved rth to Basque country with his wife.

y h two daughters, and he h a successful career as a he accountant in what was n Spain’s largest company, Altos Hors de Vizcaya.

In his free time, Iglesias enjoyed long walks in Basque country's lush, green hills. stillness of nature and sound of birds helped him think.

Iglesias also left tes, newspaper cutouts and stamps between ps of books he re. To this day, Victoria Iglesias uncovers little memories of her far. Most recently, she found loose ps from an old calendar, a union membership card and a newspaper clipping about death of a train station worker crushed between two train cars tucked into his favorite book, Spanish vella “ Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and versities."

When his daughters h problems at work or in ir personal lives, y would visit ir far at nursing home in town of Colmenar Viejo and spend hours in his room, brushing his hair or caressing his hand.

“He was one helping me,” Victoria Iglesias said, holding back tears.

A few days after nursing home locked down in mid-March, Julián Iglesias got a fever. He was taken to a hospital on March 15, and his health deteriorated. It sometimes took days to get through to overwhelmed hospital, and when his daughters mand to reach medical staff for last time 11 days later, it was too late.

day he died, Victoria Iglesias, her son and partner held an improvised memorial ceremony in ir living room. y dressed up, lit a candle and went back through ir fondest memories: family holidays to beach or when he played “Mambo . 5." y also remembered his beloved ggets: an Olivetti writer, family’s first photo camera and a pair of biculars.

“Do you kw how important it was for me to have my far re, even if he wasn’t re mentally? Do you kw how much he helped me?” Victoria Iglesias said. “People don’t realize how important elders are.”