LAUSR

Carmen de la Cuesta Benjumea. Alicante, January 23, 2019. Early this year, Francisco Javier Mercado-Martínez (Manalisco, Jalisco, 1952), member of QHR editorial board, passed away on January 6, 2019. His death was premature and unexpected leaving his family, friends, students, and the Ibero-American qualitative researchers’ community in deep sorrow. Francisco graduated as physician in the faculty of Medicine from the Universidad de Guadalajara in 1978, took a master’s degree in social medicine in 1980 from the Universidad Atónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, and a PhD on social Sciences in 1992 from the Colegio de Michoacán. Francisco was an outstanding professor and researcher at the Universidad de Guadalajara. Mentor of many students, who are today well-established researchers, educators, and managers. He was visiting professor of universities in México, Brazil, Ecuador, Liverpool, Uruguay, and Nuevo México. In all of his stays he built collaborative and productive networks that lead to studies such as the more recent in the area of renal chronic illness. He was one of the original coeditors of International Journal of Qualitative Methods (IJQM), coordinator for the International Institute of Qualitative Methods (IIQM) Ibero-American region, and leader of the first Ibero-American Qualitative Health Research Conference (Guadalajara, México, 2003) and instrumental in the following eight. The driving force of all his work was social justice and the development of qualitative research in Latin America. His publications, more than 150, evidence his commitment toward the most vulnerable and his passion for networking and collaboration. His latest publications were a review on participatory health research (Participatory Health Research in Latin America: Scientific Production on Chronic Diseases. FJ Mercado-Martínez, L RoblesSilva, B Jiménez-Domínguez, 2018) and comparative study of renal care (A comparative study of renal care in Brazil and México: Hemodialysis treatment from the perspective of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) sufferers. FJ Mercado-Martinez, DGV da Silva, ME CorreaMauricio, 2017). Among the many books he wrote, his monograph on the experience of a chronic illness in an urban-deprived setting (Between hell and glory: Experiencing chronic disease in an urban neighborhood, 1996), a two volume collection of qualitative health research works in Ibero-America coedited with C. Calderon and D. Gastaldo (Investigación Cualitativa en Salud en Iberoamérica, 2003) and a volume on qualitative health services research coedited with M. L. M. Bosi (Pesqusia Qualitativa de ServiÇos de Saúde, 2004). His commitment toward social justice outstands not only on his academic work but as well his involvement in community projects since his early days; recently, he cofounded a network of non-professional renal associations in west México (Alianza por la salud renal). Francisco enjoyed working with others as he enjoyed the nature and being outdoors trekking. He was a generous person, always ready to listen, to share his discoveries, and to give encouragement in difficult moments. Francisco was highly regarded by his peers and students. He was much loved. A maestro in the true sense of the word. We will miss him immensely. 841087QHRXXX10.1177/1049732319841087Qualitative Health Research research-article2019