German Rios

German Rios Pardo (I intentionally left out his middle name Fernando because he disliked it very much), was called to return Home. The call came very early in the morning at 8:52 am on September 18th, 2020, he left without pain, in peace, and knowing how much he was loved by all here on this earth. Waiting for him with his loving arms open in heaven was not only our Lord, but also his father Mario Rios. Also, let's not forget our many pets... and I mean many, Rafa leading the line waiting for him with all the love they had.

German is survived by his wife of 20 years, Dora Patricia Rios (Montoya), his son Sebastian, and his daughters Isabella and Sofia. He is also survived by his mother Berenice Pardo de Rios, as well as his sister Gloria Rios, nieces Laura and Paula.

He was born in Bogota, Colombia on May 3, 1967. German loved to travel, and as soon as he had a chance, he went back packing though Europe and some parts of Asia. He knew how to have fun, and always seem to not have a care in the world. His college friends nick named him "easy", because to every challange, he would reply, "easy". Once he was done with fun, he decided to get married. But little did he know the adventure was about to begin.

On January of 2000 German met this girl, who he proposed to a month later in February. I mean it was the year 2000 and the world was going to end so might as well get married, right? So on September 16 (9 months later, yes, it's coinsidence), they were married, and a new adventure begun.

German did not only love to travel, he loved his children very much, and with that love, was the love of cooking. Combine the two, and weekends were filled with laughter in the kitchen with German, Sebas, Isa, and Sofie making pancakes, arepas, or some other very messy thing that would taste delicious, look adorable, and left a huge mess behind.

He was unique in many ways. He loved Jalapenos, and no, not only as a topping, but he would buy Jalapeno sauce, Jalapeno bread, jalapeno cheese, jalapeno cakes, Jalapeno salad dressing, and even Jalapeno mermalade. Didn't even know that could exist! And he absolutely disliked chocolate! He could not even eat chocolate chip cookies!

He loved Chess. Our house is filled with chess boards, and his passtime was playing online chess. His other loves were Formula 1, Tennis, and of course, soccer. His favorite team Santa Fe! So the tv was always tuned to a raise on the weekends, soccer matches in the evenings, Tennis though out the year (US Open, Australian Open, and whatever other Open there was). And he still had time to watch Soap Operas, YES, he loved Telenovelas!

As most of you who knew him know, he was smart, very very very smart. One of the smartest people I have known, but Lord knows he had no common sense and was extremely absent minded. I heard he inherited that from his dad. I know all of you who knew him well have a funny story to tell about him. Like maybe the time he went to school in his mom's car, and came back home in the bus because he forgot he had taken the car to school. Or the time we were on vacation, stopped to get gas, and drove away with the gas hose still in the car's tank. Or the time he went to Walmart to get groceries with the kids, put the kids in the car, and came home with the kids, but wihtout the groceries as he forgot to load them in the car.

That's the German we all came to love. Funny, silly, loving, always laughing, very down to earth, a good heart, a patient man (his wife would know), and a father who loved his children more than anything else in this world. They were his life. May we always remember the good times, learn from the bad ones, and never stop loving each other. Life on this earth is sometimes too short, but should be lived, as German lived his, to the fullest.

We will celebrate his life with a Mass at Transfiguration Catholilc Church on October 2, 2020 followed by his burrial at Cheatham Hill Memorial Park. Everyone who remembered German is asked to share stories, pictures, and videos of him on mykeeper.com/germanrios. This way his family and children can see other sides of him.