On November 20, we said goodbye to Paco Marín Guruceaga. For those of us who are part of Olarain, Paco was much more than our founder; he was the constant energy that envisioned and launched this project with the same dedication he brought to every stage of his life. Trained as a physicist and passionate about education, Paco instilled in us the priority of providing close, attentive, high-quality care, a philosophy of respect and generosity that continues to drive Olarain.
The foundations of an educational dream
Paco’s life was always dedicated to education. It all started when he founded Academia Aries, a center that grew to have 500 students and became a pillar for many families in San Sebastián. But his educational ambition didn’t stop there. In 1977, he led the group that launched the Ekintza ikastola, committing to an innovative, plural educational model of its own, with the aim of promoting the use of the Basque language in the Basque Country.
Paco felt deep respect for Basque culture and the Basque language, and although he sadly admitted that he never learned to speak it as fluently as he would have liked, he dedicated himself to ensuring that future generations could live in their own language. His thoughts remain engraved in one of the sculptures in Olarain’s library: “Hezkuntza herrian sustraitua, unibertsora irekita, askatasuna da.”
Olarain, our home and his legacy
When Paco promoted the construction of this university residence hall, inaugurated on a day like today in 2001, exactly 25 years ago, he was not looking to create just a simple place to stay; his intention was for Olarain to have a soul. Among other things, with an enthusiasm we still remember, he commissioned Alberto Saavedra to create the sculptures that now define our façade and give us a unique identity.
He liked spaces to tell stories. This determination to rescue fragments of our past, such as the old Ossa projector from the Elizondo cinema in Zestoa that now graces our facilities, reflects his conviction that the places where we live should inspire and spark the curiosity of those who inhabit them.
The Garden of Friendship: a bridge to Japan
A proud native of San Sebastián, Paco was the key figure who connected our city with Marugame. It all began in 1985, when a group of Japanese students arrived in San Sebastián. Paco dedicated himself fully to welcoming them, coordinating their visit and organizing meetings with students and teachers from the Ekintza ikastola, as well as various activities. That exchange, born from his generosity, was the seed that led to the official twinning of Donostia and Marugame in 1990.
That cultural connection was sealed in 2016 with the inauguration of the “Garden of Friendship” at Olarain, a space where Corten steel coexists with bonsai trees, cherry trees, and a Japanese teahouse. For Paco, this garden was the perfect symbol of a friendship that began between people from different places and has since become a solid institutional bond.
Thanks to his role as the driving force behind this twinning, in 2020 he received the Kagawa Prefecture Government’s International Cooperation Award in 2020.
A farewell to a generous person
Beyond his achievements as a manager, in our daily lives we will remember his calm smile, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his natural willingness to help anyone in need. Paco was an optimist who firmly believed that life is an adventure and that it’s essential to set goals and always strive towards them.
At Olarain, we will continue working to ensure that his vision and enthusiasm remain present in every corner of this home.
