Reflections from the Road: Dining with Daniel Gómez Obregón ‘59

Dining with Daniel Gómez Obregón ‘59 in Bogotá was not the typical business lunch. Having graduated from Fay in 1959, Daniel has a life of memories richly informed by his time as a boarder at the school, and he holds those memories very close to his heart. He last returned to Fay in 2013, and his visit to campus moved him deeply. During our conversation, Daniel remembered his roommates, friends, and the extended family which, by his own report, changed his life in immeasurable ways.

Daniel talked about his 2013 tour of campus with the eye of memory - he was particularly moved by the dining hall, a space he couldn’t believe had “barely changed” in 53 years. He was also moved by the fireplace in the Primary School, lovingly moved from the academic building he remembers so clearly.

After a long career in a range of industries that included industrial design and furniture manufacturing, Daniel is retired - in name only - but continues to work and consult with his vast network of friends and partners in Colombia and around the world. Closest to his heart, though, is his family farm about an hour outside of Bogotá, a farm shared with his siblings and centered on a colonial house built in the 17th century. It contains a chapel, and he shared stories of weddings, christenings, and holidays still held there by his extended family - over thirty who gather whenever they can to continue what is clearly a rich family tradition and legacy.

Daniel’s connection to Fay is palpable and deep. He spoke of leadership as the primary gift the school gave to him, and he has never departed from the path the school opened for him.  Through all his years in Colombia, a country with a complex history but one he treasures as one of South America’s oldest democracies, Daniel has always seen Fay as a place that helped shape in him a goodness, a clarity of mind, and a sense of purpose. He is eager to connect with any of his Fay friends and family, and he is thrilled that Fay’s connection to his beloved Colombia is alive and well.