I first met Joaquin Sanchez Cue in May 1990, when I went to Cuernavaca for my brother's wedding to Carmina, who is Quino's niece.
He was a very friendly and vivacious architect who always appeared to love life. This was even more apparent as he had been going for expensive treatments in Houston for malignant bladder polyps. Quino and Menchu, his wife, came to Canada the next winter, along with Carmina's parents and visited Vancouver, Alberta, and Toronto, where as most Mexicans, he was very impressed with the snow and cold. Although I did not see him then, I did visit Cuernavaca subsequently thrice, where I always enjoyed his kindness and friendliness.
The primary reason for this last visit to Mexico was to attend Quino's daughter Rocio's wedding, which was on Saturday December 16. While visiting Quino a few times before the wedding, he did appear tired and a little apprehensive about his health and finances. He was scheduled to go into the Cuernavaca hospital the Monday following the wedding for surgery to repair or remove his bladder, which had, after remission, been giving him trouble again. The surgery, while involved, was not supposed to be major or life-threatening, and was only supposed to be a long term solution to the continuing expensive Houston treatments.
While he may have been sick, at Rocio's wedding you would have never known, as Quino was drinking, partying, and dancing through the evening. He genuinely seemed to be having a good time at his daughter's wedding and appeared to be his old self. There did not appear to be much apprehension about the surgery, and Rocio, and her new husband set off on Sunday for a two week skiing honeymoon at Vail.
Quino went into the hospital on Monday, and went under for the approximately four hour procedure on Tuesday morning. Apparently, he never regained consciousness.