Adolfo Pardo

Adolfo Pardo June 30, 2025 Adolfo Pardo, 94, of Phoenix, AZ, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2025 with Pilar, his loving wife of 67 years, by his side. “Pardo”, as he was known to many, was born on May 22, 1931 in Padrenda, Ourense-Spain to Adolfo Pardo Sr. and Jovita Vazquez.

 His parents, sister Jesusa Gonzalez and nephew Delfin Gonzalez preceded him in death. Adolfo & “Pili” made their home in Flagstaff, AZ until 1985, when they moved to Camp Verde, AZ, where they made many friends in the small community and were blessed with wonderful neighbors, especially Joao & Rosemary Mina. In 2022, they moved to Phoenix, AZ. Pardo was a proud, yet humble, hardworking man with countless accomplishments. At the young age of 18, he left his family and native Spain to come to the United States. He served in the US Army and remained an active member of the VFW & the Elks. While he lived the Spanish culture, he was very proud to be a US citizen. After an honorable discharge from the Army, he ran a successful business, “Pardo’s Tavern” alongside his uncle, Enrique Vazquez, in Flagstaff. The establishment was a welcoming place to local residents & the Spanish community. The remainder of his career was in construction as a laborer & foreman as a member of the Laborers Union. He worked on a crew doing construction at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, commuting to and from work daily via helicopter. For many years, worked building the Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City, AZ, where he & Pili owned and managed a mobile home park. After retiring in 1993, he remained physically active taking care of dogs, sheep, chickens, harvesting pecans, gardening & grafting fruit trees on the Camp Verde property. Pardo was a skilled outdoorsman who loved hunting & fishing, especially with his brother-in-law, Jaime Gonzalez II and cousin, Jesus Vazquez. In 1974, while ice fishing at Mormon Lake, he & Pili fell into the freezing water & were miraculously rescued by good Samaritans. 

His easy going nature brought people together as he always sought to minimize conflict and find a happy, peaceful resolution. Pardo often took on extra burdens as he never wanted to inconvenience others. A witty sense of humor brought laughter & joy to everyone who knew him, while at times a bit inappropriate, it was never intended to be malicious or hateful. Pardo would give you the shirt off his back and when he gave his word, he honored it! His physical & mental strength and resilience were especially demonstrated in 2019, when at the age of 88, he was hit by a motorcycle while picking up the mail in Camp Verde. The motorcycle may have been totaled, and while he had severe superficial wounds, Pardo suffered no broken bones or internal injuries and made a full recovery. During their marriage, Pardo & Pili shared an unwavering love for each other. Their home was always warm, welcoming & you knew you’d be well fed! They enjoyed hosting gatherings, celebrating milestone anniversaries, traveling & attending sporting events. Pardo will be greatly missed by all, but he lived a long, wonderful life & leaves so many beautiful memories which will be cherished by family & friends. 

He is survived by the love of his life, Pili, nieces & nephews, who he loved like his own children: Tony (Griselda, their children Alina & Cid) Lucas, Marisol (children Miranda & Marco) Cavazos, Teresa (Scott, children Calvin & Parker) Montei, Jaime III (Sara, children Josefina & Jaime IV) Gonzalez and Manolo Gonzalez & family of Spain. The family is grateful to all who blessed Pardo’s life with love, friendship & joy. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 11, 2025 at St Mary’s Catholic Church, 230 W Galveston St, Chandler, AZ 85225 as follows: - Visitation at 10:30 am - Rosary at 11:00 am - Mass at 11:30 am - Interment immediately following at Queen of Heaven Cemetery located at 1562 E Baseline Rd, Mesa, AZ 85204. Lunch will be served after the interment in Hurtado Hall at St Mary’s Church. 

Since Pardo was such a sport’s enthusiast, we encourage you to wear your favorite sports shirt or jersey and dress comfortably for the weather. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks for donations to Hospice of the West (Tucson, AZ) or St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in his memory.