José Cárdenas commissioned the artist George Yepes to paint a portrait of his late wife, Virginia. Here, he and his son Dr. Javier Cárdenas pose in front of the painting.

Dad is general counsel to Arizona State University and the host of a public affairs TV show. Son is a neurologist and director of the Barrow Concussion & Brain Injury Center. Together, they make a formidable father-son duo that is moving Arizona toward a brighter future. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, José Cárdenas came from humble beginnings. His father had a sixth-grade education and moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was in his 30s. José’s mother was born in a small town in northern Nevada to Mexican parents. Her mother died when she was 6 and she moved with her father and siblings to railroad housing in Las Vegas, where years later she met José’s father. The two built a family that included three boys and one girl. “Even though they didn’t have much education, they stressed education and the importance of having an honest job,” José said. After his father was killed in a work accident when José was 15, the teenager wanted to drop out of school. His mother wouldn’t hear of it. Luckily, José also received emotional support from his childhood sweetheart, Virginia, a 5-foot-tall beauty he began dating in ninth grade who became the great love of his life. “I started out as an engineering major at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas but couldn’t José A. Cárdenas and Dr. Javier Cárdenas demonstrate the importance of work, the value of family and the commitment to building community. COVER STORY {by karen werner} SEPTEMBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 21