Ex-Nogales Mayor Canchola dies after bout with cancer

NOGALES — Former Nogales Mayor Jos/ “Tio” Canchola, 76, lost his long-running battle with brain cancer Monday morning.

He died peacefully in Tucson, surrounded by his family, a friend of the Cancholas said.

Canchola, born in Parsons, Kan., to Mexican immigrants, arrived on the Nogales scene in 1976 when he purchased his first McDonald’s franchise on Crawford Street. He eventually acquired seven more locations, including the one on Mariposa Road, another in the Wal-Mart Super Center and five in Tucson.

He quickly built a reputation as a philanthropist and organized an annual Christmas charity event for poor and orphaned children from Nogales, Sonora. The tradition ended last year after three decades.

McDonald’s ruled the fast-food scene on the border for many years, and he made no secret he wanted to keep it that way. When a competing burger joint went up on the site of the historic Masonic temple on Terrace Avenue in the 1980s, it proved too close for comfort. Canchola reportedly bought out the franchise and then had it plowed under.

He bought several other parcels around his restaurant and converted them into parking lots for tourists and, of course, potential patrons.

Canchola was raised by his grandparents in Chicago and was a paperboy in the financial district. He later became an investment banker and was the first Hispanic member of the New York Stock Exchange in the 1950s.

In December, Canchola’s family sold the three franchises in Nogales. His son, Roger Canchola, operates the five Tucson locations.

He served a two-year term as mayor of Nogales in 1993-1994. Canchola became part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1993. He co-founded the Ronald McDonald House in Tucson and created scholarships for business and journalism students at the University of Arizona.

He served as national chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was on the board of directors of the Tucson Airport Authority and Tucson Electric Power Co.

In 2002, he was selected as one of the Torchbearers when the Olympic Flame passed through Tucson on its journey to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics in 2002. That same year, President Bush appointed him to the National Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Hispanic Magazine.

Gael Pullen along with her husband Mark and son Angelo took over the three Nogales McDonald’s on Dec. 1. Negotiations to purchase the restaurants were with Canchola’s sons and wife and not him personally, due to his failing health.

Pullen said, “A process that could have been very difficult, went rather smoothly. It’s because of that, we feel very close to them (and) will be lifelong friends. Our household feels a personal loss with his passing.”

Alfredo Alvarez, who was director of operations under Canchola’s ownership and worked for the family for more than 17 years, said, “I’m going to miss him a lot. We used to talk and consult every day.

“He was very generous and took care of his people,” Alvarez said. “He did a lot of things behind the scenes. He opened the doors for a lot of people, in business and in going to school.”

Alvarez said he saw Canchola at Christmas time. “He asked me, ‘Are you ready to go to Acapulco?’” Alvarez explained that Acapulco was where Canchola would regularly take his management team for “R&R.”

Canchola and his wife Carmen were married 56 years. They had six children: Anthony, 55; Robert, 52; Rick, 50; Carmen, 44; Roger, 43; and Mary Ellen, 42. They have 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Manuel C. Coppola is editor and publisher of the Nogales International. Comment on this story or leave condolences online at www.gvnews.com.