Mathilde Huff

Mathilde Osorio Huff passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 20th, surrounded by family and loved ones. Born Mathilde Osorio Fernández, in the town of Pacho, Colombia, she was raised with her parents, Pacífico Osorio and Delfina Fernández de Osorio, and her six siblings, Beatriz, Sofía, Álvaro, Fernando, Cecilia, and Solita.

She is survived by her adoring husband, Bill Huff; her children: daughter, Suzanne, and son-in-law Barry Howard, of Albuquerque, and son, John, of Boston; her sisters: Cecilia Riley (Merle) of Albuquerque, Solita Klein (Alfred) of Bogotá, and Sofía Rodriguez of New York; three grandsons:  John Sebastian, Milan, and Phineas; stepchildren: Curtis Huff (Lori) and Vicki Huff, of Texas; sisters-in-law Camille Villafaña (Mauro) of California and Emma Osorio (Fernando) of Colombia, and beloved family members and friends around the world.

Mathilde led a life informed by her experiences in the rapidly changing world of South America in the 20th century.  In her early youth, she was active in various philanthropic activities, working with the Catholic Action League to help the poor in her community. She was especially dedicated to caring for the incarcerated, making sure that they were given daily access to Mass and that their families were cared for. After completing her studies at the University of Los Andes in Bogotá, she traveled to Pasadena, California, on an educational scholarship. While studying English at Pasadena City College, she met and later married Cal-Tech mathematics grad student, Robert (Bob) Buck. After Bob’s graduation, they moved to Davis, California, where Bob was a math professor at UCD. After their separation in the early seventies, Mathilde worked as a legal and medical liaison to the Hispanic migrant farming community, focusing particularly on the challenges facing women and children in that population. She transitioned this calling into an official position as social worker and interpreter for many years at the Woodland Memorial Hospital, in Woodland, California.

In 1992, Mathilde married Robert William Huff (Bill), owner of American Computing and Electronics, and they lived in Albuquerque the remainder of her life. Her life touched many others’ throughout her time among us, and she will be deeply missed by those who knew her quick wit, ready laugh, and kind nature.

Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to either the California Farmworkers Foundation (www.californiafarmworkers.org) or the Rio Grande Down Syndrome Network (www.rgdsn.org).