Luis Valdés

Luis German Valdés Larralde, MD (March 27, 1923 – August 15, 2012) was a Cuban-American surgeon.

Early life
Son of German Valdés, MD, a prominent dentist, physician and landowner in Yaguajay his mother was Josefa Larralde, daughter of another prominent Yaguajay citizen Don Marcos Larralde. As a boy, Luis German Valdés discovered the "Cuevas De Valdés" when he was 13 years old. The photograph at the left of his friends at Cuevas De Valdés was given to him by his friend Wilfredo Celaya a few days before he left his surgical pathology fellowship at Harvard, USA. Athletic, he was known for his swan dive. Educated in the Jesuit tradition at Belen he graduated in 1939 at the age of 16, began medical school and graduated from University of Havana with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1946. He was profoundly influenced by Agrupación Católica Universitaria and personally knew the founders. He attended Harvard University surgical pathology fellowship in 1951-1952 at Harvard University Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital and Free Hospital for Women, Boston Massachusetts, sponsored by the US State Department. He was a student of Benjamin Castleman whom he greatly admired. He then returned to Cuba. In 1961, Dr. Valdes left Cuba permanently and became a political refugee in the US because of professional and personal harassment and persecution by the Communist Revolution of Fidel Castro. He immigrated to the United States found work as a Pathologist at Carl Vinson Veterans Affairs hospital and repeated his surgical residency at Vanderbilt University. He continued his surgical career in Houston, Texas attaining Chief of Staff of Memorial-Hermann Southeast hospital, retiring at the age of 73.

Marriage and children
He married Thusnelda Mencio Valdés, PhD and had 4 children in a marriage that lasted over 50 years. November 22, 1958) Reproductive endocrinologist.
 * Ignacio Valdés, MD (06/26/1963) Software engineer, nationally and internationally known expert on Electronic Health Records, Psychiatrist, Astronaut, LLC.
 * Luis Antero Valdés, PhD (07/17/1961) Psychologist.
 * Maria Valdés Zaayman (March 23, 1960 – June 19, 2015) Pediatric nurse, educator.
 * Cecilia Valdés, MD (b

Professional associations

 * Cuban Society of Surgery (in Cuba, 1960). President of the Society in Miami (1990-92)
 * Cuban Cancerological Society, 1959
 * Cuban Branch of the International Angiological Society.
 * Texas Medical Association
 * American Medical Association
 * Fellow American College of Surgeons (1968 to present)
 * Southwestern Surgical Congress, 1970.
 * Greater Houston Physicians Association, 1975.
 * Houston Surgical Society
 * H. William Scott, Jr. society
 * Harris County Medical Society
 * HCMS Retired Physicians Organization
 * National Association of Cuban-American Educators
 * Agrupación Católica Universitaria
 * Belén Jesuit Alumni Association

Community service

 * Volunteer Medical work at the San Lorenzo Charity Clinic in Havana, Cuba.
 * Chairman of the St. Augustine Catholic Church Parish Council (1992-1994)
 * Chairman of the Health Ministry at St. Augustine Church (2002-2003)
 * Organized a Charity Bread Distribution Volunteer program with St. Augustine and other parishes (1999-2002)
 * Worked with the CHIPS program sponsored by the Retired Physicians’ Organization
 * Volunteer work at Medical Bridges (2002 to 2010). Medical Bridges, Inc. sends donated, usable hospital, medical and dental office equipment to 60 nations in the world.

Death and afterward
Cause of death: multiple from dementia, diabetes, and heart disease. Surrounded by family at Houston Hospice.

Philosophical and political views
He was very fond of stories, telling them, had many, and was very entertaining to talk with. The Society of Jesus and the Agrupación Católica Universitaria had a profound effect on his life. He dedicated his life in service to others and was a practicing Catholic. The Cuban revolution changed him forever. He was politically conservative.

Honours and awards

 * 1990 Memorial Herman Hospital Recognition of Service Award
 * 2000 Target Hunger Volunteer Trophy
 * 2000 Ripley House Volunteer Recognition
 * 2002 “Cuban Ambassador” Awards from Casa Cuba, a Cuban-American organization that recognizes each year an outstanding Cuban-American for his or her professional and community service as an exemplary representative of the *Cuban-American community.
 * 2004 Retired Physician of the year awarded by the Harris County Retired Physicians Organization.
 * 2010 Lifetime Service Award given by the Medical Bridges organization of Houston, Texas.