MARTIN "MITCH" R. MONTOYA, 42, of Chimayó died unexpectedly Tuesday. He was preceded in death by his father, Ursulo Montoya; paternal grandparents, Luis and Doloritas Montoya; maternal grandparents, Isidoro and Adonelia Martinez. He enjoyed spending time with his great-nephews and -nieces. He is survived by his son, Matthew Montoya of Socorro; daughter, Estella Montoya Naranjo of Española; mother, Corina Martinez of Chimayó; three sisters, Shirley Montoya, Evelyn Dominguez and husband Esli, all of Chimayó, and Melinda Woody of Albuquerque; two brothers, Earl Woody and wife Fatima of Chimayó, Mitch Montoya and wife Maggie of Taos; and numerous other relatives and friends. Cremation has taken place. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Believer's United Church in El Llano. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Espanola Valley, (505) 747-7477 or 1-877-747-3600.
Dated: March 19, 2004
KARLA R. PEINADO, 19, of Santa Fe died suddenly Wednesday. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Aniseto Duran; uncle, Frank Duran; and aunt Ramona Duran. She was born Nov. 30, 1984, in Santa Fe, the daughter of Ernest and Patricia Duran Peinado. She was employed at First National Bank of Santa Fe for more than three years. She most recently worked as the teller supervisor at the Cerrillos Road office. She was a free spirit and enjoyed life to the fullest. She will be remembered as a confident and independent young woman who will be greatly missed. She is survived by her parents; sister, Alicia Gallegos and husband Juan Gabriel; brother, E.J. Peinado and girlfriend Tammy Chappell; grandparents, Carmen Duran, and Dan and Martha Peinado; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. Visitation begins 6 p.m. Saturday with a 7 p.m. rosary at Berardinelli Family Chapel. Visitation will be held again at 7 p.m. Sunday with a 7:30 p.m. rosary at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Monday at the same church. Burial will be held at Rosario Cemetery. A reception will follow at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Hall. Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, (505) 983-4331.
Dated: March 19, 2004
TOBY ROMERO JR., 36, of Chimayó died Tuesday. He was preceded in death by his wife, Erneen Romero; father, Tobias Romero; grandfather, Carpio Romero; grandparents, Ramon and Sarita Medina; godparents, Susana and Willie Duran and nephew, Angel Tobias Lopez. He is survived by his fiancé, Nadine Cruz; daughter, Esperanza Cruz; mother, Gloria Romero; daughters, Janet Romero and boyfriend Nathan Trujillo, of Chimayó, Jennifer Romero of Chimayó; sisters, Margaret Lopez and husband Gerald of La Mesilla, Sarita Trujillo and husband Darrell of Chimayó; honorary sister, Angela Vigil and husband Manuel; two nephews; two nieces; a goddaughter; grandmother, Carmelita Romero of Cordova; a very special uncle, Barney Romero and wife Vivian; and numerous other relatives and friends. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held 7 p.m. Saturday in the Sangre de Cristo Chapel at DeVargas Funeral Home. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Espanola Valley, (505) 747-7477 or 1 (877) 747-3600.
Dated: March 19, 2004
ORLANDO "TOAST" CORDOVA, 56, of Ensenada died Wednesday after a brief illness.
He was actively involved in politics and formerly was the county treasurer and corrections officer for Rio Arriba County. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pascual and Ciria Cordova; and brother, Manuel "Mele" Cordova. He is survived by his children, Hazel Cordova and husband Roque Sanchez of Rio Rancho, Judy Maes and husband Dennis of Chama, Deborah Cordova of Ensenada, Orlando "Guerro" Cordova of Pojoaque, Genevieve "Jenny" and Sharon Cordova, both of Albuquerque; mother of his children, Nelda S. Cordova of Cebolla; brother, Donny Cordova and wife Ruth of Rio Chama; seven grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at San Jose Catholic Church in Los Ojos. Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the same church with burial to follow at Ensenada Catholic Cemetery. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Española Valley, (505) 747-7477.
Dated: March 26, 2004
JOSE BEN GARCIA JR., 71, of Mendanales died Wednesday after a long illness. He was known as "Primo Ben." He was a union member for 51 years and worked for Davis Construction for 15 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jose Ben Sr. and Beatrice Garcia; and sisters, Beatrice Jaramillo, Susana and Belen Garcia. He is survived by his wife, Ramoncita Garcia of Medanales; children, Rita and Carlos Salazar and Beatrice and Roland Fernandez, all of Medanales, Gene and Linda Garcia of Chili, Ramon and Georgiana Garcia of El Paso, Hope and Tony Rauh of Austin, Texas, Susan and Gene Martinez, Gerald and Holly Garcia and Rudy and Sandra Garcia, all of Albuquerque, Dorothy and Angelo Jimenez and Joy Garcia of Houston; 28 grandchildren; brothers and sisters, Vitalia Martinez, Seledon and Alice Garcia, Olivia and Jackie Suazo, Freddie and Isabel Garcia and Flora and George Martinez; and many other relatives and friends. A visitation will be held at 6 p.m. today with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. at St. Tomas Catholic Church in Abiquiu. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same church with burial to follow at San Antonio Cemetery in Medanales. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Española Valley, (505) 747-7477.
Dated: March 26, 2004
CHARLIE HATCHER, 71, of Santa Fe died Tuesday unexpectedly. He had worked as a physicist for the national laboratories since 1958 and continued his work until his death. He was born and educated in Texas and earned his doctorate at the University of Texas. His work in nuclear non-proliferation took him to Austria and Russia. His passions were skiing, genealogy and his family. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Hatcher of Santa Fe; sons, Bernard Hatcher and wife Stephanie Anagnostou of Boulder, Colo., and Ben Hatcher and wife DeEdda McLean of White Rock; one grandson; sisters, Mitzi Strain and husband Weldon, Lou Beth Hendrix and husband Grady and Linda Hatcher, all of Texas; and many other relatives and friends. Private services are being held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Prader-Wili Syndrome Association at 5700 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, Fla., 34242. DeVargas Funeral Home of the Española Valley, 1 (877) 747-3600.
Dated: March 26, 2004
LARRY L. LOPEZ, 53, of Cordova died March 19 after a long illness. He was a very good carver. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ricardo and Benita Lopez. He is survived by his wife, Patsy Lopez; daughter, Julie Lopez; sons, Larry Jr., Davy and Brandon Lopez, all of the family home, and Christopher Trujillo of Cordova; six grandchildren; brothers, Victoriano Reynolds and wife Nary of Española and Eurgencio Lopez and wife Orlinda of Cordova; sisters, Sabinita Ortiz and husband Cristobal of Cordova, Nora Serrano and husband Delfido of Española, and Otilia Sandoval and husband John of Rio Chiquito; and many other relatives and friends. Cremation has taken place. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cordova. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday at the same church. De Vargas Funeral Home of the Española Valley, (505) 747-7477.
Dated: March 26, 2004
PEGGY SAIZ, 82, of Las Vegas, N.M., died Wednesday at Northeastern Regional Hospital. She was born in Anton Chico. She retired from the Las Vegas Medical Center, where she was employed as an assistant dietician for 31 years. She loved to play bingo and poker. She also baked, embroidered, sewed, colored, played word search games and enjoyed being with her family. She was a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, Teodoro and Ana Maria Saiz; sisters, Jennie Gallegos, Mary Ann Tafoya, Connie Catanach and Alicia Saiz; and brothers, Ignacio "Nash" Saiz, Francisco Teodoro Saiz and Francisco Estevan Saiz. She is survived by her daughter, Dolores A. Padilla and companion Chiquita of Las Vegas, N.M.; three grandchildren; brothers, Louis G. Saiz of El Paso and Francisco Saiz, whom she helped raise, of Las Vegas, N.M.; sisters, Claudine Soza and Bennie Saiz, both of El Paso; niece and nephew she raised, Franchesca Saiz and Francisco L. Saiz Jr., both of Las Vegas, N.M.; grandniece she was raising, Savannah Saiz of Las Vegas, N.M.; and many other relatives and friends. Cremation has taken place. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. A funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the same church with burial to follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Relatives and friends will be received at 208 Taos Street, Las Vegas, N.M. Rogers Mortuary, (505) 425-3511.
Dated: March 26, 2004
HELEN C. WILLIAMS, 90, of of Los Alamos died Wednesday. She is survived by her son, Ted Williams and wife Joan of Los Alamos; brother, Henry Colangelo of Conneticut; and many other relatives and friends. No local services will be held. Funeral services will be held in Conneticut. Block-Salazar Mortuary, (505) 753-2288.
Dated: March 26, 2004
KAROLYN COULTER, 68, of Los Alamos died Monday at St. Vincent Hospital after a massive heart attack.
June Karolyn Ketchum Coulter was born in Jackson, Ala. She graduated from Jackson High School and then obtained a bachelor of music degree from Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham, Ala. She did graduate study at the southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she was awarded the degree of master of sacred music in 1959. She studied vocal performance at the New England conservatory and did post-graduate study in music education at Boston University. She taught music at Atlantic Junior High School and directed the Chancel choir at Bethany Congregational Church, both in Quincy, Mass. She taught music education at the University of Alabama. She moved to Los Alamos in 1982 and was the choir director at the White Rock Presbyterian Church for many years. She was a gifted singer and voice teacher and taught voice lessons from 1985 to the time of her death. Her students ranged in age from 4 to 85, and they routinely won top honors in regional and statewide voice competitions and two of them won first place in their age categories in southwest regional voice competitions and advanced to the national level. She helped direct the vocal music in many productions of the Los Alamos Light Opera and Little Theater.
She is survived by her husband, Alton Coulter; daughters, Kathryn Coulter and Kimberly Howard; two granddaughters; and many other relatives and friends.
A public memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. today at the United Methodist Church in Los Alamos followed by a reception in the church's Fellowship Hall.
McGee Memorial Chapel Mortuary, 983-9151.
Dated: March 27, 2004
IGNACIO GONZALES, 83, of Santa Fe died Wednesday.
He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army Air Force, serving in the China, India and Burma theaters. He was employed by the Kaufman Sand and Gravel Company for many years and continued his employment for the Kaufmans as their master gardener. Up until last year, he dazzled the eyes of many passersby in the upper Canyon Road area with the beautiful array of multicolored flowers, done with combined effort of his neighbor, Marsha. He was a man of simplicity with an appreciation of nature. He was a member of Cristo Rey Church and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Celso and Isidorita L. Gonzales; son, Jose D. Gonzales; sister, Magdalena Rodriguez and husband Ramon; and brothers, Reyes Gonzales and Santiago Gonzales.
He is survived by his son, Ray Gonzales and wife Elizabeth; daughters, Patricia Ortega and husband Fidel and Rose Ellen Medina and husband Richard; brother, Celso Gonzales Jr. and wife Marylou; sister, Emma Gonzales; special grandchildren, Ray Gonzales Jr. and wife Laura, Mark Gonzales, Christian Salazar and husband Reuben and Michelle Wheeler and husband Aric; and many other relatives.
A visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday with a rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. at Cristo Rey Church. Mass will be celebrated Monday at the same church with burial to follow at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.
Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, 983-4331.
Dated: March 27, 2004
MICHELLE E. KONZEM, 31, of Santa Fe, died unexpectedly Tuesday in Madrid.
She is survived by her fiancé, Arlo Harmon; parents, Tom and Josie Konzem of California; sister, Sherri of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; brothers, Mike of Oregon, Scott of Colorado Springs and David of California; dog, Truck; and many other relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at the Madrid Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Marketplace, 913 W. Alameda St., Santa Fe, N.M., 87501.
McGee Memorial Chapel Mortuary, 983-9151.
Dated: March 27, 2004
