Posts in Category: OBITUARY

ISSUE 05-07-22 JERRY ALLEN DIES

On May 11, 2022 0 Comments - 2022 - May 7, OBITUARY

At 92, Jerry Allen died March 29 at his Corrales home where family members say his 35  hummingbird feeders probably changed the local ecosystem. He retired in 1990 from a 35-year career with the Los Alamos National Laboratory where he conducted research for weapons testing.

His father had moved the family from Texas to Los Alamos in 1947 to work for the Los Alamos Fire Department.

Allen is survived by wife Phyllis Allen, daughter Bridget Swahlen and sons Paul and Scott Allen and step-son Larry Luna and their mother, Devaun Allen, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Burial was at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

ISSUE 04-09-22 ROBIN McCOY DIES

On April 13, 2022 0 Comments - 2022-April 9 issue, OBITUARY

Former Corrales resident Robin McCoy died in her sleep March 28. She was 93. She had moved to the Houston area in 2009 to be closer to her daughter, Amy Pettigrew. She left Corrales in 1987. Born in El Paso, she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art at Mills College in Oakland, California. In 1951, she married future attorney Bob McCoy; they moved to Albuquerque and then Corrales where they raised three children and many animals.

To create her art, she worked in oils, watercolor, small sculptures and wood carving. McCoy served on the board of trustees for Sandia Preparatory School,  and as a docent at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and the Museum of Natural History. Her husband and sons Matthew and Daniel McCoy and sister Jane Norton Dodds died before her. She is survived by daughter Amy Pettigrew and three grandsons.

A private memorial event will be held later.

ISSUE 04-09-22 ANN BRAUNSCHWEIG DIES AT 85 YEARS

On April 13, 2022 0 Comments - 2022-April 9 issue, OBITUARY

A 45-year resident of Corrales, Ann Braunschweig died February 12 after a long illness. She was 85. An environmentalist and animal welfare activist, Braunschweig was also an artist whose social justice works were published internationally.

“My mom was a bit left of center and quite idealistic, optimistic and hopeful of positive change,” said her daughter, Kathy Braunschweig, who survives her as does husband Ernie Braunschweig.

No memorial is planned.

ISSUE 03-19-22 BUDDY & CONNIE SANCHEZ DIE

On March 18, 2022 0 Comments - 03-19-22 GARDEN ISSUE, OBITUARY

Buddy and Connie Sanchez of Corrales died less than three weeks apart in November; he on November 6 and she on Thanksgiving Day.

They had lived here about five years, after retiring in Colorado where she was well known as founder and owner of The Glass Warehouse which specialized in stained glass and fused glass art.

Eulojio “Buddy” Sanchez was born in Belen. After distinguished service in the Army, he returned to Belen and married Kansas native Connie Sue Hogan. They moved to Englewood, Colorado where he worked for Martin Marietta and she taught high school English. She went to work at a stained glass store when led to starting The Glass Warehouse.

Pieces of her glass art hang in churches and celebrities’ homes.

A celebration of their lives will be announced later. They are survived by his sister Ruth Morris, and his brother, Larry Sanchez, as well as her brothers Daniel, Tom and David Hogan and their families.

ISSUE 03-19-22 ARTIST DIANE CUTTER DIES

On March 18, 2022 0 Comments - 03-19-22 GARDEN ISSUE, OBITUARY

Artist Diane Cutter died November 18 at her Corrales home. She was a member of the Corrales Bosque Gallery artist co-op where her work was exhibited. She was especially known for her print making.

Born in San Francisco, she graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1963 and went on to the University of New Mexico. She was the eldest of nine siblings, and is survived by  husband, Brian Robbins, and her daughters Tina Haladay and Susie Lazear and their families, as well as by her eight siblings.

ISSUE 03-19-22 BOB SLAGLE DIES

On March 18, 2022 0 Comments - 03-19-22 GARDEN ISSUE, OBITUARY

A long-time resident of Corrales, Bob Slagle, died last November at 87. A delayed memorial service was held  March 18.

Born in Nebraska, Slagle settled in the Albuquerque area in 1985. He opened Dayhoff Shoes on North Coors in the 1980s. He was a teacher and school counselor, retiring from Zuni Elementary School.

Among other activities, Slagle distributed clothing to the homeless on Saturdays.

He is survived by sons John and Joe Slagle and their families. His wife, June Slagle, and nine siblings died before he did.

ISSUE 03-19-22 ARTIST RHEA RHODES DIES

On March 18, 2022 0 Comments - 03-19-22 GARDEN ISSUE, OBITUARY

Long-time resident of Corrales Rhea Rhodes died January 27 in Sedona, Arizona. She was 96.

Her watercolor painting were exhibited in France, Germany and Italy, as well as in the United States. In 1982, her work was featured in American Artist magazine.

After high school in Salt Lake City, she studied commercial art there and at the University of California Los Angeles. She moved to Corrales in 1967.

She is survived by children Nancy Louise Rhodes of Sedona and John Blair Rhodes of Amarillo, as well as brother Blaine Ricks Wilson. A memorial service was held in Sedona in early February.

ISSUE 3-5-22 GAY BETZER DIES

On March 4, 2022 0 Comments - 2022-March-5, OBITUARY

A cheerful presence in Corrales since the 1980s, Gay Betzer has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Tulsa native was involved in several local good causes, but especially Casa San Ysidro Museum. She was among the first to train for the museum’s docent program. The Albuquerque Museum Foundation honored her for that service in 1999. She served on the board of directors for the museum.

She was also a strong supporter for the Corrales Historical Society.

Betzer graduated Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Oklahoma majoring in English in 1960, followed by course work at George Washington University in Washington DC.

She married Stan Betzer, now an attorney, when they were in college. She is survived by him and by sons John and Evan and their families, including  four grandchildren and two sisters.

A celebration of her life will be held in the spring or early summer. Memorial donations may be sent to Albuquerque Museum Foundation’s Gay Betzer Children’s Fund.

ISSUE 02-19-22 DOROTHY TRAFTON DIES

On February 21, 2022 0 Comments - 2022-February 19, OBITUARY

Dorothy Trafton, daughter of Dulcelina Curtis and sister of Evelyn Losack, died at age 90 on February 3 due to complications from a stroke.

She grew up in Corrales working on the family farm. Widely known as a physical education teacher, she retired after teaching at Lincoln Middle School in Rio Rancho.

Trafton held master’s degrees in physical education and in counseling and student guidance. She was also an elected official and businesswoman. She served on the Village Council in the 1980s and owned and restored the old two-story, white building on Corrales Road, sometimes referred to as the “Sears House” since it was assembled from mail order components. She used the resulting retail space for a shop until she sold the property.

She was admired for her exuberance in many fields, but especially as a dancer. She was chosen to serve on the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1984.

She is survived by three sons: Curt, Mitch and Clay and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She married Clint Trafton shortly after high school where they met; they later divorced.

Later, she partnered on the dance floor and cruises with E.J. Bereza and then Bud Bolsinger.

Funeral services were held at San Ysidro Church, February  18 at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations to the Solo Club of Albuquerque or the Sodality of San Ysidro Catholic Church.

ISSUE 11-06-21 SANDY ST GEORGE DIES

On November 10, 2021 0 Comments - Article, ISSUE 11-06-21, OBITUARY

Watercolor artist Sandy St.George died August 30 at age 80. Born in Arkansas, she spent her teenage years on the East Coast where she began a life that family members describe as that of a hippie, poet traveler and folksinger. She first visited New Mexico during an extended roadtrip in a Volkswagen bus.

Sandra Robinson St.George earned a bachelor’s degree in New Hampshire and later a masters and doctorate at the University of New Mexico.

In her later years, she returned to her passion for art to become a skilled watercolorist.

She is survived by her husband, Arthur, son Aaron and step-daughter Amitai, as well as four grandchildren.

2021 OCTOBER 23 ISSUE QUINCY SHAW DIES

On October 26, 2021 0 Comments - 2021 OCTOBER 23 ISSUE, Article, OBITUARY

Engineer Quincy Shaw died October 10 at age 96. Long a resident at the north end of Corrales, he was a leader of the “No Way a Highway” opposition to plans in the 1980s that would have transformed the then-rutted, unpaved Loma Larga ditch bank into a four-lane state highway. Shaw also closely followed engineering plans for the Harvey Jones Flood Control Channel and the Corrales Road bridge over it which some villagers thought would create a significant risk of flooding before raging arroyo stormwater reached the river.

During his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he worked on several flood control projects, among them those for Tramway Boulevard, Cochiti Dam, Abiquiu Dam and drainage channels in Albuquerque.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific. After the war, he worked in Okinawa where he met his future wife, Harriet Yone Nakasone. They were married in Taos and raised a family in Corrales. Survivors include daughters Susan Strasia, Pam Garfield and Teresa Binyon. Harriet Shaw died in March 2016.

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