Ernesto "Kiko" Cornejo

Ernesto "Kiko" Cornejo, passed away at age 63, in his home in Woods Cross, Utah on December 25, 2015 after a peaceful Christmas eve full of love and joy with all his closest loved ones. Kiko was born in Romeral, Chile on September 26, 1952, to Ananias Cornejo and Rosa Abarca. He was the 6th of 10 siblings.
As a young adult in Chile, Kiko studied electricity and worked teaching art at the LDS school "Brisas del Maipo" and provided literacy training for a government-based program.  
At the age of 25, Kiko served an honorable mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Santiago North Chile Mission from 1976 to 1978.  At the age of 27, he emigrated to England and later to New York.  Kiko finally settled in the state of Utah in 1983 at the age of 31. Two years later, he met and married Giselle Calda and together they had three beautiful daughters, Stephanie, Shantel and Nikki whom he loved dearly.
Soon after his arrival to Utah, through insight gained from personal experience, Kiko perceived a need to educate the Latino community about local laws and practices to help them stay safe and out of trouble.  Kiko also saw a need to encourage the Latino immigrants to assimilate to the US in every way possible but also to proudly maintain their own rich traditions.
One of Kiko's first jobs in Utah was delivering pizzas. Despite having a lack of professional education and experience and just a dream, he made his way toward a successful career in television and radio communication to serve as a liaison between the Latino population and local government and community programs. He also became the proud founder and director of the Utah Latino Community Center which for more than 30 years served the Latino community through educational, cultural, and charitable events.  One of these events included the annual International Christmas Celebration where 2000 children received a new toy and where hundreds of local artists had an opportunity to proudly share their talents and culture. Kiko also worked for the Salt Lake City Police Department from 1998 through 2003 as a civilian doing community outreach and for the Utah Department of Public Safety until 2008 as an advocate for law enforcement and public safety.
Some of the awards Kiko received throughout his life of service include: The 1998 Hispanic Culture Diffuser award from the Utah Chilean Residents Community, The 2003 Distinguished Latino Award, and The 2005 Director's Community Leadership award from the FBI where he was recognized for his 20 years of hard work "helping those new to the American Dream" and for being "a true leader" for the latino community.  Kiko also received many certificates of completion for professional trainings and seminars.  
    Kiko is survived by his wife Giselle, his three daughters Stephanie, Shantel, and Nikki, his grandsons Mateo, Izaiah and Nixon, his two sisters Rosa Lidia and Alejandrina, and by his four brothers Victor, Jaime, Ananias (Nano), Alejandro and Nibaldo.  He was preceded in death by his brothers Sergio and Hugo, his father Ananias Cornejo and his Mother Rosa Abarca.  
Kiko will be remembered by his family, friends and the community as a Hero. As the quote says, "A true hero is an ordinary person facing extraordinary circumstances and acting with courage, honor and self-sacrifice".  Kiko not only sacrificed his life for the happiness and well being of his family and his community, but he also had the courage to overcome language and discrimination barriers as well as personal fears to follow the promptings of the Spirit and make his honorable dreams a reality.   May we maintain his legacy of selfless service, empathy, and courage to help those around us, and may his life history be an inspiration for future generations to come.  
God be with you 'till we meet again to a dedicated teacher, elder, leader, friend, partner, brother, and most importantly, a sweet and loving father and grandfather.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at the Parkway LDS Chapel, 261 East Center Street, North Salt Lake, where a viewing will be held Tuesday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday morning 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. prior to services. Interment-Bountiful City Cemetery.