Obituary for Louis S. Hernandez

Louis S. Hernandez, 79, of Dubuque, IA passed away on Monday, November 24, 2008 at the Ennoble Manor in Dubuque. Per his wishes, Louis was cremated. A memorial service will be planned at a future date. Louis Stephen Hernandez was born April 26, 1929 in New York, NY the beloved son of Louis and Mercedes (Colon) Hernandez. Louis married Ana Elisa Rodriguez in New York, NY on February 19, 1950. Ana passed away on May 30, 2003. He later married Mamlakat Tilyaeva in Dubuque, IA on September 14, 2004. Louis was an International Executive in the Pharmaceutical Industry and retired from Marion-Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals in 1990. Lou was an insatiable reader with an encyclopedic memory for information. Lou enjoyed both opera and symphony performances which he began attending in his native New York as a teenager. Lou was blessed to have known and heard some of the greatest musicians of our time during his extensive travels and a career which had him living in Colon, Bogota, Istanbul, Rome, Paris and Zurich. Lou moved to Dubuque in 1997 to be closer to his daughter Carmen. He took to Dubuque right away and shared his talents serving on various arts committees and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Board. Lou also participated in the Great Decisions Foreign Policy Discussion Group at the NICC Town Clock Center and was a frequent speaker for the series. He greatly enjoyed his years in this adopted city. Survivors include his wife Mamlakat Tilyaeva-Hernandez of Dubuque; his daughter Carmen Hernandez of Dubuque; two sons Charlton Hernandez of Palatine, IL, and Carl Hernandez of San Juan, P.R.; step-son Pulat Tilyaev; three sisters Berta Riley of Tucson, AZ, Mercedes Solmo of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Jo Dodge of Salem; and three granddaughters and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his parents and first wife Ana Elisa Hernandez. Lou was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend to many and will be greatly missed by all. The family would like to thank the staff at Ennoble Manor and Hospice of Dubuque for their compassionate and exemplary care of Lou. Their consideration was a great comfort to us. Online condolences may be left for the Hernandez family by clicking on "Sign Guestbook" below.