AGUIRRE, Edward

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, Arizona, Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Edward Aguirre, a native of Miami, and former United States Commissioner of Education appointed by President Gerald R. Ford and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, passed away in his sleep on May 22, following a combination of health reversals. Dr. Aguirre was born in Globe, Ariz. on Sept. 14, 1929 to Louis and Concepcion Chavez Aguirre. He received his Doctorate in Education from Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. He joined the faculty of San Diego State University in 1963. While there, he was recognized by the Greater San Diego County Industry-Education Council for his contributions to Industrial Education and was selected as Man of the Year in 1968 by the San Diego County Central Labor Council. At a time when doors were not often opened to Hispanic Americans, Dr. Aguirre was recruited into the federal government in 1969. Secretary of Labor, James J. Hodgson chose Dr. Aguirre to work for the Department of Labor. He was later chosen for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare largely due to his active participation in community and governmental organizations. He served as Deputy Associate Manpower Administrator and Regional Director in the Labor Department’s Region IX through 1973. He was appointed by the President as the Chairman of the Western Federal Regional Council to coordinate inter-agency activities with the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health Education and Welfare, Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. In 1973, Dr. Aguirre was selected as Regional Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Education for Region IX. In 1976, he was selected by President Ford and confirmed by the United States Senate to be the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Highly committed to advances in technology, Dr. Aguirre was a pioneer in increasing the coordination and efficiency of his operations through breakthroughs in the emerging computer sciences. He strove to quantify results and correlate them to cost. Dr. Aguirre served as a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Because of his knowledge of State and community leaders, he served on several Presidential Transition teams. Dr. Aguirre was long concerned with the human resources, social and economic development of the United States, along with Central and Latin America. He was the U.S. Agency for International Development’s consultant to the Peruvian and Venezuela National Curriculum Commissions, the U.S. Office of Bilingual Education Representative to Mexico, and the U.S. Representative to the Bolivian Ministry of Education. In 1982, he founded Aguirre International. He assembled a multi-disciplinary group of nationally recognized experts in accessing hard to reach and underserved populations. Their approach combined research and academic expertise to provide policy makers data for program development. The results from their years of study have been widely used by governmental and non-profit organizations who are also correlating program design to results to cost effectiveness. In 2008, he sold Aguirre International and retired to a life of golf, reading, travel and family pursuits. Mr. Aguirre was one of 8 siblings - Ignacio Aguirre, Inosencio Aguirre, Luis Aguirre, Dora Aguirre Trujillo, Connie Aguirre Fletcher, Guadalupe (Lupe) Aguirre Garcia and Jessie Aguirre Miller (all deceased). Locally, Edward Aguirre is survived by Lydia Aguirre (sister-in-law), Louie and Tammie Garcia and family (nephew), Tom Aguirre and family (nephew), Barbara and Charlie Valencia and family (niece). Edward is survived by his loving wife, Cherry Tsutsumida Aguirre, whom he married in 2006. Edward was previously married to Deluvina (Maldonado) Aguirre (deceased), also of Miami, Ariz. Edward had two children: John and his wife Linda Aguirre, and Diana Aguirre Owens (deceased); and five grandchildren, Jennifer Aguirre, Kimberly Aguirre, Adam Owens, Peter Owens and Caitlyn Owens. The Aguirre family and Bullion Plaza Museum are hosting a memorial service for Edward Aguirre, who passed away on May 22, 2015 at his home in San Mateo, California. The memorial service is Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 6 p.m. at Bullion Plaza Museum in Edward’s home town of Miami, Ariz. This is an open invitation to the family, friends to join us in celebrating Edward Aguirre’s life. A reception will follow the memorial service.