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Rev. Claudio Iglesias The Reverend Claudio Iglesias, 85, a long term Albuquerque resident, went home to be with the Lord he served for a lifetime. His transition to glory was December 1, 2008. He lived an abundant life and helped countless people in his journey through life. A member of Panama's indigenous Kuna Nation, Rev. Iglesias came to the United States in 1936 as a 13 year old boy and began his American adventure in Ellis Island, NY. He was the youngest of twelve children and the son of a medicine man. He received his education at Bacone College in Oklahoma and attended Houghton College in upstate New York, Nyack College in New York and graduated from Redlands University in California in 1951. He became the second Kuna to receive a college degree. He was married to the former Margaret Geiger in 1949 and they served as missionaries in Panama for many years with the Southern Baptist Convention and Wycliffe Bible Translators before pastoring churches in Oklahoma, Gallup, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. As missionaries in Panama, Claudio and Margaret established a grade school that educated a generation of future Kuna leaders and performed medical and dental services to an island with no health care facilities. Rev. Iglesias greatest legacy, however, was helping to create the Kuna alphabet and translating the New Testament into Kuna. Fully tri-lingual and tri-cultural, Rev. Iglesias always had a kind word to say to everyone and lived out his joyous faith day by day. Even after retirement, Rev. Iglesias led groups of short-term missionaries from Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque to the San Blas Islands in Panama. He performed this service well into his 70s. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret Geiger Iglesias, of Keller, TX, three children; Lorena and Bill Heydenburk and their family of Keller, Texas, Marina Iglesias of Panama City, Panama and David and Cynthia Iglesias and their family of Albuquerque, NM. He was the proud grandparent to Angie and Chris Price and their family of Keller, Texas, Melinda and Shane Graham and their family of Keller, TX, Joel and Courtney Heydenburk of Ft. Worth, TX, Daniel and Carrie Vidal and their family of Santa Fe, NM, Ben Vidal of Santa Fe, Jonathan and Meng Vidal and their family of Vero Beach, FL, Marina Margaret Morales-Iglesias of Panama City, Panama and Claudia, Amanda, Marisa and Sophia Iglesias of Albuquerque. Close family friends Lino and Amilda Smith of Panama City, Panama and their son Daniel of Austin, TX are also present with surviving family members. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Kuna Pastors Association, c/o Carroll Baptist Church, 1280 E. Highland Street, Southlake, TX 76092, 817-488-6900, www.carrollchurch.org
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