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Secretary-General of Movement and deputy president of Spain from 1974, Utrera Molina (pictured left in his younger days) had previously been civil governor of Sevilla, Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha) and Burgos (Castilla y León), as well as under-secretary of State for work and minister for housing.
Utrera Molina's son-in-law – whom he praised as 'a born politician', is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón – former mayor of Madrid and, until recently, justice minister, who will go down in history for his attempts to push through the most restrictive anti-abortion law Spain has ever seen since the practice was legalised in 1985.
Ruiz-Gallardón's wife María del Mar is one of Utrera Molina's seven children, the others of whom are José Antonio, Margarita del Prado, María Rocío de los Reyes, María Victoria, Luis Felipe and César.
A controversial figure who, after Franco's death, was head senator candidate for the Popular Alliance (Alianza Popular) – now the PP – for the province of Málaga exactly 40 years ago, Utrera Molina wrote an article in the right-wing daily newspaper ABC seven years ago criticising the Law of Historic Memory, which requires, among other aspects, the removal of all symbols, statues and street names honouring Franco and his colleagues.
Utrera Molina's memoirs were published in 1989 under the title of Without changing shirt ('Sin cambiar de camisa') and followed up in 2008 with a second volume, Without changing flag ('Sin cambiar de bandera').
A law graduate, Utrera Molina's career started when he was a very young adult and joined the 'Falangists', the far-right group which supported Franco's régime.
Luis Felipe Utrera read out a dedication to his father during his funeral in Vélez-Málaga, in which he recalled how Utrera Molina had 'spent considerable time with' victims of the Sevilla floods who were left homeless.
“They can remove your name from streets if they want, but they'll never be able to remove the gratitude of so many thousands of families for whom you guaranteed a decent roof over their heads, schools for their children, and so many other things that will never fit in a book of your memoirs,” Luis Felipe read.
Family members, friends and supporters sang the Falangist anthem Cara al Sol ('Face to the Sun') and Viva España when Utrera Molina's coffin was wheeled out of the San Miguel church in Nerja during the mass given ahead of his cremation in Vélez-Málaga.
Ruiz-Gallardón was one of the pall-bearers who carried the casket.
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