Joaquin J. Vallarino Jr. ’43

Joaquin J. Vallarino Jr. ’43 died October 5, 2015, in Panama City, Republic of Panama. A native of Panama, Val attended local schools before graduating from Culver Military Academy. At Dartmouth Val majored in Spanish, was president of the Spanish Club, active in intramural sports and a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon and Kappa Sigma. While at Dartmouth he met Barbara Cox, daughter of Professor Sidney Cox. They were married in 1942. Back in Panama, after a variety of jobs, Val became manager—and eventually chairman and CEO—of Coca Cola Panama and founded a brewery in 1959. He chaired Banco Disa and Panama Boston Industries, was president of the Panama Chapter of the Inter-American Council of Commerce and Production, founded the U.S.-Panama Business Council and helped found the National Renovation Movement (a political party). Named by President George Bush (senior) to the Panama Commission that oversaw the transfer of the canal to Panama, Val later chaired the ad-hoc commission that established the Panama Canal Authority. Val loved his ranch, Tanara, where he bred racehorses and Brahman cattle. For more than 30 years Val and Barbie maintained a home in Hanover. In 2001 Val invited classmates to a mini-reunion in Panama. Loyal to Dartmouth, Val was a class officer and a member of the executive committee. Val was predeceased by daughter Carol. He is survived by Barbara; children, J.J. III, Roberto, Pedro, Susana and Miguel; and many grandchildren (including Barbara ’98) and great-grandchildren.