Diego and Hugo Hernandez Jr. can describe their parents, Hugo and Christina, in plenty of ways.
They had big hearts, were caring, honest, truthful and sweet. Above all, they were also their heroes.
To others, they were a coach and a nurse, parents and friends whose warmth, dedication and unwavering positive spirit touched many.
That made Aug. 23 all the more devastating.
Hugo, 47, and Christina, 48, died, leaving their family and the Stockton community reeling. Details surrounding their deaths have not been shared at this time.
In the days since, Diego has found himself reflecting on the qualities that made his parents who they were.
“My mom was a nurse for more than 20 years," Diego said. "She was a great person with an even better heart. She loved
helping people and was hardworking and determined. She loved me and my brother so much and would do anything for us. Even when she wasn’t having a good day, she still wanted to make people happy. She was the best mom, daughter, sister and nurse I could ever ask for, and her smile will always be remembered.”
His father left a different, but equally lasting, mark.
“My dad taught my brother and me the definition of tough love,” Diego said. “He was always honest and truthful with us, no matter the situation. He pushed us to become the men we are today and did such a great job raising us. I know he’ll continue pushing us to become even better people from above. He’s my hero and always will be.
“Ever since he started coaching us when we were little, he connected with so many families and touched so many lives through youth sports and his involvement in the St. Mary’s and Stockton communities. My dad had the biggest heart, and he’ll always be remembered for the impact he had on people’s lives.”
Both sons graduated from St. Mary’s.
Hugo Jr. graduated in 2022, followed by Diego in May 2026.
“They were good, family-oriented people who supported us and our program,” St. Mary's football coach Tony Franks said. “They sent their boys here, but their connection became much bigger than that. They were woven very tightly into this community. They had so many close friends here, and Mr. Hernandez coached some of our young people. They became a very important part of who we are.”
More than a football family
In 2019, Hugo and Christina became woven into the San Joaquin Jr. Rams community, a youth football and cheer program in Stockton.
Hugo found his place coaching. Christina was on the sidelines, showing unwavering support for her husband, their sons and the other families and children in the program.
Together, their impact was felt from the start.
“For years, they have brought warmth, dedication and an unyielding positive spirit to our sidelines, fields and community events, leaving an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing them,” the San Joaquin Jr. Rams board said in a statement on Instagram Aug. 24. “Hugo Jr. and Diego, both proud graduates of St. Mary’s School, represent the very best of their parents’ love, guidance and values.”
Their sudden loss has left an enormous void for those who knew them.
“It’s an incredible, incomprehensible tragedy,” Franks said. “It was so sudden, so unexpected and so difficult for Diego and his older brother, Hugo Jr., to have to deal with. Thankfully, they have family and a great group of friends around them, and they have the St. Mary’s family and the entire Stockton community wrapping their arms around them as they go through this really challenging time.”
None more so than their two sons — and even the family’s three dogs.
Only months ago, all four were together for one of the biggest moments of Diego’s life. At 7:45 a.m. on Dec. 11, 2025, Hugo, Christina and Hugo Jr. were at St. Mary’s High School to send Diego off as the Rams departed for Southern California and the CIF Division 2-AA state championship game.
A day later, Diego rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown as St. Mary’s brought Stockton its first state football championship. The running back finished his career with 1,926 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns and plans to continue his playing career at Golden West College, a community college in Huntington Beach.
“You guys are the best parents I could ever ask for,” Diego wrote on his Instagram story Aug. 24. “Dad, you always pushed me to be the best version of myself and fight for what I love. Mom, you were always there for me no matter the situation. I love you guys beyond life. I will cherish all of our memories together forever. You guys deserve the world. Goodbye for now.”
Rallying around Hugo Jr. and Diego
Support for Hugo Jr. and Diego has continued to pour in.
Leticia Tupfer created a GoFundMe campaign, “Support Hugo Jr. and Diego After Loss,” that has already surpassed the halfway point of its $80,000 goal with more than 350 donations.
“Hugo Jr. and Diego are just solid young men who did things the right way,” Franks said. “They showed up every day, worked hard and did what was asked of them. They were everything we could have wanted from them and were excellent representatives of our program.”
On the GoFundMe, Tupfer wrote that donations will help Hugo Jr. and Diego with immediate expenses, “daily essentials,” housing, college costs and veterinary care for their dogs as they adjust to “a future they never expected to face so soon.”
Details regarding memorial services or vigils have not yet been shared.
“As a community, we share in the immense grief of this profound loss,” the San Joaquin Jr. Rams board said in a statement on Instagram Aug. 24. “At this time, we ask that you please keep Hugo Jr. and Diego, along with their extended family, in your thoughts and prayers.”
This article originally appeared on The Record: Remembering Hugo and Christina Hernandez: A family’s love, a community’s loss
