Background
Doctor Valarino was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1941 to Federico Garcia Montalvo and Eugenia Valarino. His father was a horse trainer and his mother a housewife and seamstress.
Doctor Valarino was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1941 to Federico Garcia Montalvo and Eugenia Valarino. His father was a horse trainer and his mother a housewife and seamstress.
Doctor Valarino graduated as a medical practitioner from the University of Liverpool and had been working in the field since 1967, having started his professional career in Gibraltar at Street Bernard"s Hospital.
The Honorary
Soon after, he opened his own private practice in Gibraltar. From 1994-1996 he was chairman of the Gibraltar branch of the European Movement. He was regional representative of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and was a past secretary of the British Medical Association (Gibraltar branch).
He was also Life President of the Gibraltar Hockey Association.
He died on 13 March 2009, aged 67, after a long illness. Following news of his death, the Gibraltar Parliament observed a minute"s silence in his memory on 17 March 2009.
A memorial service was held for him at the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned on 18 March 2009, which filled to capacity with attendees.
Doctor Valarino was first elected to the then House of Assembly (now the Gibraltar Parliament) in the 1976 general election as a member of the Gibraltar Democratic Movement (GDM). He was also a former Minister of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (American Association for Cancer Research) through several terms and member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP), serving a total of almost 20 years as an elected representative of the people of Gibraltar both in Government and in Opposition. Doctor Valarino had been a member of a number of public committees.