With heavy hearts, Saint Mary’s Hall acknowledges the passing of beloved community member Carlos Alvarez, who passed away Monday evening. With his passing, Saint Mary’s Hall lost an exceptional friend, visionary benefactor, Trustee, beloved father and grandfather, and trusted advocate.
Carlos was a civic leader and pioneering businessman, founding The Gambrinus Company in 1984. His association with Saint Mary’s Hall began as a parent in 1988. A passionate advocate for education, he twice served as a Trustee for Saint Mary’s Hall between 1997 and 2011. As a Trustee, he was an active member of the Buildings & Grounds Committee, the Advancement Committee, the Education Committee, and more. He received the Founders’ Day Award in 2007 in recognition of his commitment to the SMH Community, and with his wife, Malú, he strived to help Saint Mary’s Hall students become global citizens. An early advocate for student travel and experiential learning, he was instrumental in making SMH a School Year Abroad (SYA) member school. The Alvarez family strengthened this connection in 2015 by establishing the Carlos and Malu Alvarez Endowment for SYA, a scholarship program providing financial assistance to enable students to study abroad. They also established the Malu & Carlos Alvarez Family Endowed Fund in 2022 to provide unrestricted resources to support students and teachers. Carlos and Malu were instrumental in ensuring SMH had the resources necessary to achieve our vision throughout the last three and a half decades and led the way in both the Building Futures/Future Buildings and the I AM Campaigns.
Head of School Len Miller said, “We lost a dear friend this week. As Saint Mary’s Hall looks to the future with a continued focus on experiential and global learning, we stand upon the foundation that Carlos built. His love for the students on this campus and his desire for all of them to become global citizens has left an indelible mark on our School, and we will carry his memory forward with honor and intention.”
In recent years, Mr. Alvarez has remained a fixture on campus, joyfully supporting his grandchildren in their school-related activities. He could always be found on the sidelines of a soccer or basketball game, dance performance, or Grand Day. Carlos is survived by his wife, Malú Alvarez, daughter Malú Alvarez ’98, daughter and son-in-law Carla ’01 and John ’01 Brozovich, and grandchildren Carlos Alvarez “Charlie” Brozovich ’32 and Carla Isabella “Isa” Brozovich ’34.