Caldwell Family Remembers Father After His Death

IS DEVASTATEDAFTER LOSING AFAMILY MEMBER TOCOVID-19.MIGUEL ALBARESSAYS HIS FATHERPASSED AWAY LASTWEEK FROMCOMPLICATIONS OFTHE VIRUS.HE SPOKE TO OURREPORTER RICARDOCORONADO ABOUTTHE TRAGIC LOSS...AND SHARES AMESSAGE FOR THECOMMUNITY.ALBARES SAYS HISFATHER, MANUELALBARES, WAS 73YEARS OLD WHEN HEDIED FROMCOMPLICATIONS OFCOVID-19.

FOR MORETHAN FOURDECADES, HEINSPIRED LOCALYOUTH... AS THEIRBOXING COACH.ALBARES SAYS HENEVER THOUGHTTHIS VIRUS WOULDTAKE SOMEONE HELOVED."MY DAD HE WAS AHARD-WORKING GUYSINCE HE WASYOUNG, HE ALWAYSPUT FAMILY FIRST.HE LOVED HISCOMMUNITY SINCE1971 HE MOVED TOCALDWELL, IDAHO IN1971.

HE GAVE THISCITY EVERYTHING HEHAD".MIKE ALBARES SAYSHE AND HIS FAMILYGOT DEVASTATINGNEWS ON JANUARY14 -- HIS FATHER, 73-YEAR-OLD MANUELALBARES, WASDEAD... AFTER AMONTHLONG BATTLEWITH COVID-19.ALBARES "IT WASSOMETHING THAT WENEVER THOUGHT ITWAS GOING TOHAPPENED TO OURFAMILY.

WE WEREBASICALLY TOLD TOSAY GOODBYETHROUGH A FACETIME AND MESSAGEIT WAS NOT A FUNDAY."MIKE SAYS HEKNOWS HIS FATHERDID EVERYTHING HECOULD TO FIGHT THEVIRUS.

AFTER ALL...HE WAS A FIGHTER.FOR MORE THANFORTY YEARS,MANUEL ALBARESHELPED KIDS BUILDCHARACTER ANDTOUGHNESS... AS ABOXING COACH."HE WANTED PEOPLETO SUCCEED AND HECOULD BE A LITTLEPART OF IT THAT'SWHAT ALWAYS MADEHIM HAPPY."OTHERS WHO KNEWMANUEL SAY THEYWILL REMEMBER HIMFOR HIS LEADERSHIPAND GIVING BACK TOTHE COMMUNITY.SALDANA "HE'SPROBABLY HELPEDTHOUSANDS OF KIDSTHAT COMETHROUGH HERE INTHE 80S.

THE BIGTHING WAS HE TOOKTHE KIDS OFF THESTREETS BACK INTHE 80S; THE GANGSWERE BAD.

MADE AHUGE DIFFERENCE INMY LIFE AND LESSFORTUNATE."MIKE TELLS ME HISFATHER ALSOSERVED HISCOUNTRY, AND WASAN ARMY VETERAN.HE HOPES THECOMMUNITY WILLREMEMBER HISFATHER'SCONTRIBUTIONS...AND REMINDSEVERYONE THAT THISVIRUS CAN BEDEVASTATING WHENYOU LEAST EXPECTIT."MY DAD WAS A BIGPROPONENT OFBEING SAFE ANDTAKING ITSERIOUSLY.

I KNOWMY DAD WOULD HEWOULD HAVE ASKEDTHAT PEOPLE NOTTHINK OF YOURSELFBUT THINK ABOUTOTHERS."ANOTHER FAMILYMEMBER TELLS METHAT HE ANDANOTHER COUPLEOF COACHES ARERUNNING THE C-TOWN BOXING GYMAND WILL CONTINUETO SHARE THESKILLS ANDGUIDANCE THATMANUEL HADSHARED.

INCALDWELL RICARDOCORONADO IDAHO