My father, Percy Hurtado, would have turned 80 years old on Sept. 17, 2023, had the Lord not called him home in 2015. I owe much of my success to my father, an immigrant, which is why I’m dedicating our main conference room to him as The Percy Hurtado Conference Room. In this room, I’ve commissioned an artist to create a mural based on a photo of my father and me. It is one of my favorite photos of my dad. I feel his love and affection in his gaze towards me. But I also see something even more than that in his eyes. I sense that in this moment he’s thinking that all the sacrifices he made during his life were worth it – not only because of my achievement, or even all the successes of all of his children, and grandchildren, but he is also seeing the generational impact to so many people.
His calling to come to the United States was not just to provide him and his family a better future, but to serve the Latino community in the U.S. He was a pastor and had the gift of evangelism. Sharing the gospel was second nature to him. I’ve yet to hear a fiercer and more impassioned preacher from the pulpit. Although he was considered a lay minister for most of his life, I am most blessed to say that he was my father, pastor, and best friend. Eight years after his passing, I am still frequently stopped by apparent strangers to tell me how much of an impact my father had in their lives. He truly touched so many lives.
My father also inspired our company’s icon, the lighthouse. During his final hospital stay, my father told me he had a birthday gift for me but wanted to give it to me in person. He didn’t get that chance, and a couple of months after he passed, my mother was able to present it to me.
The present was a painting of a lighthouse inscribed with Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is my refuge and fortress of my life—whom shall I dread?”
My mother explained that my father loved lighthouses because they were reminders that we should look for hope amidst the darkness and troubled waters and that Jesus is our lighthouse. As an immigrant, he also saw the lighthouse as a symbolic beacon of hope for immigrants searching for a place to plant new roots and thrive.
My father is a tremendous inspiration to me, and it only seemed fitting that I dedicate one of the most important spaces in my office to him. As I speak to countless individuals and families, it is an awesome experience to see my dad present in those important moments. His legacy lives on, not only in the lives of our family, but also in our firm family, and the thousands of clients we have been able to serve because of his vision and faithfulness to his calling.
