Gerardo Villar Martínez, was a multifaceted Pichilemino in the labor field. The last time we spoke with him was in 2008. It was precisely the multiplicity of tasks in which we saw him that led us to learn more about him.

On the occasion, when responding, he told us: “I was born on July 15, 1927. To date I am 81 years old, I am married, and I have seven children. I did my high school studies at School No. 90 there on Ángel Gaete street almost on the corner of O'Higgins, a house that belonged to the Camilo Aguilar family. Of my teachers I remember Don Rufino Castro and Mr. Sepúlveda whose first name I forgot; but I remember some colleagues: Gonzalo González, Sergio Urzúa, Eugenio López, Augusto Aliaga, Baltasar Leyton, Gustavo Garrido, José Miranda”.

“My main trades are furniture maker, master builder and coachman. I have done all kinds of activities: From coffins, furniture, doors, windows and houses. I have built hundreds of houses in Pichilemu. I have also participated in the construction of schools inside and outside the commune.

From the age of twelve I started working washing cars and gardening at the Hotel Ross. There I also worked as a baker in the bakery of that hotel when the owner was Mr. Julio Magnolfi. After that, around the age of 17, I started in construction. My father was a teacher and by watching and working I began to learn. The first house I built was made of stone in the Infiernillo sector and it still stands. This construction was dealt with by the teacher Heriberto Pérez, who was the contractor, but I built it. Later, with more experience, I began to work with assistants under my charge and they were looking for me. For example, I built the house – that immense house – for Doctor Basilio Sánchez. I made the Automatic Telephone Plant. The Aerodrome Hangar as well. In this work, my compadre Antonio Álvarez did the deal, but he looked for me so that we could do it. That construction gave me and still gives me pride, because those trusses have a 17-meter span and there you see. They are still with no signs of going bad. The same goes for the reinforced concrete beam that has a 15-meter span. Something that not everyone does”.

Consulted how they entertained themselves in their childhood and youth?: As a child we played LIBRADOR. This game was very entertaining, but sometimes we finished very late as it was sometimes difficult to find all of us who participated. We hid in houses, trees, anyway”.

Did you participate in any Institution? “I always liked soccer, despite the difficulty I have in one of my legs (*), which made me work harder. And since I stood out, I played in the “Unión Pichilemu” Sports Club, as in the Barrios championships, where -playing for the “Cañonazo”- we were champions on several occasions. And maybe he saw me refereeing on some occasion. In fact, they even looked for me from other communes to go to arbitrate. I was also a firefighter in my youth. That's where I appear in some photos from the past”.

(*): Indeed, in our childhood there was no Association of Referees, and only "brave volunteers" with some knowledge of the regulations, dared to referee matches. Among them, Don Gerardo Villar stood out, who had a shorter leg; but this did not prevent him from playing soccer or refereeing. He was characterized by always being close to the play and his charges were always accurate and energetic in the face of the players' claims. Several years passed -in the 1980s- when an association was consolidated, the one in charge of arbitrating the matches organized annually by the Pichilemu Football Association.