Obituaries

JAMES CAMPBELL WILHELM April 5, 2019

James Campbell Wilhelm, 70, of Albuquerque and formerly of Los Alamos passed away unexpectedly on April 5, 2019. 

Jimmy, as he was affectionately known, graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1966 and as a Registered Nurse from the University of New Mexico in 1974. He served in the US Navy from 1966 – 1972.

In his earlier years Jim enjoyed camping and backpacking with his many friends and family and more recently traveling with his wife.

Jim was preceded in death by both of his parents Richard and Doris Wilhelm of White Rock. He is survived by his wife Read More

ERIC O. MARTINEZ April 17, 1964 – April 4, 2019

His heavenly Father lead one of his angels back home, Eric O. Martinez, on April 4, 2019 at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Medical Cancer Center in Denver, CO; while being treated for Multiple Myeloma (bone cancer).

He could not have been in a better facility due to the professionalism of the staff that cared for him. Our Lord and Savior just had other plans for Eric. 

Those whose lives he touched will be devastated by his death, but know Eric for who Eric was. A man of great faith, Eric traveled to the holy land two times to walk where Jesus walked. He was the Read More

SANDRA MCGINTY April 1, 2019

If you were out on the town and ran into Sandy McGinty, chances are you’d find her with a cigarette in one hand a drink the other. She might be at the bar or behind it, but she’d always be ready for a conversation and to make a new friend.

Born Sandra Kinney in Akron, Ohio in 1940 to Cread and Margaret (Jennings) Kinney, she was married before her 18th birthday to her high school sweetheart, John “Butch” McGinty. Two years later, with baby boy in tow she was crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary to join her husband on his Air Force posting.

Two daughters Read More

EDWARD LITTLE March 27, 2019

Edward Little, a long-time resident of Los Alamos, went to be with the Lord, passing peacefully on March 27, 2019, just shy of his 99th birthday. 

Ed is survived by his wife of 75 years, Mary, his son Robert, his daughter, Susan (Russell), his grandsons Michael (Courtney) and Jacob (Sara), his great-granddaughter Ellie, and cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, William H. Little, Sr. and Elizabeth Little and his brother William H. Little, Jr. (Fleata).

Ed was born in 1920 in North Carolina. His family moved several times during his Read More

LINE WOO March 17, 1923 – March 26, 2019

Line Woo, 96, passed away on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Though petite in stature, Line Woo was a strong willed and determined woman imbued with internal fortitude. After her second divorce, she transformed herself into a successful business woman decades ago when such a career choice for a woman was frowned upon.

She became a jeweler and operated two successful businesses whilst at the same time raised and nurtured her three children. All three went on to pursue successful careers in their own right.

In her retirement years she enjoyed a full and Read More

JOHN A. CHAPMAN March 11, 1930 – March 23, 2019

John A. Chapman, 89, a resident of White Rock, NM passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

He was born March 11, 1930 in East St. Louis, Ill.  At the age of 17 John joined the Marines and served in China and also served during the Korean War. After discharge, he worked for several railroads firing steam engines.

John moved his family to Los Alamos, NM in 1956 where he served his community as a Police Officer. After a limited period of time at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he rejoined the Los Alamos Police Department and later retired in May 1988 with Read More

CAPPY LOVE HANSON GORDON May 12, 1946 – Feb. 8, 2019

Cappy was born in California on May 12, 1946 and passed away in Douglas, Arizona on February 8, 2019.

She is survived by her husband and dearest love, Dennis Gordon.

She came to New Mexico in 1988 and lived primarily in Los Alamos until she and Dennis moved to southern Arizona in 2004. She loved the Sangres and the Jemez, and hiking and snowboarding. She loved birds and animals and filled her life with them. She was an avid birder.

Above all, she loved the music and magic of words; she was an award winning, published poet and author.

Cappy was a kind and openhearted Read More

EDWARD RAUCHFUSS Jan. 28, 1930 – March 23, 2019

Ed was born to Marvel and Eugene Rauchfuss.

He graduated from Powell High School and was active on sports. During his youth he was a partner in his father’s bee business. He spent four years in the Air Force, stationed in Denver, Colorado where he met his wife Vera. The union brought forth three children.

Ed graduated from the University of Wyoming where he earned a BA in in teaching. He taught 4th grade in the Powell School System. He went on to graduate from the North Carolina College in 1967 with a MA in Audio Visual.

He was hired by Los Alamos Public School Read More

GEORGE F. ERICKSON May 10, 1929 – March 5, 2019

George Frank Erickson died peacefully in Los Alamos on March 5, 2019 with family by his side. 

George was born in Oak Park, IL on May 10, 1929. He had a colorful childhood on the streets of Chicago exploring the wonders of energetic chemical reactions and high power electrical devices that sparked the technical passions that he carried with him through the rest of his life.

He spent time in Buffalo, NY while taking classes at the State University of New York and later joined the Naval Reserve as an electronics technician. He worked a variety of jobs Read More

MARGARET MONTAGNO CLAY Aug. 13, 1939 – March 18, 2019

Margaret Montagno Clay passed away peacefully at home on Monday, March 18, 2019, in Los Alamos at the age of 79.

Margaret was born August 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, to Della Quarto and Antonio Montagno and lived in New York until the age of 8, when her family moved to Columbus, Ohio.

Margaret hated to be the center of attention and rarely talked about her accomplishments, but she had many. Margaret graduated from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame in 1961 and subsequently earned her Master’s in History from Fordham University in 1963. Having Read More

THOMAS LEE CHRISTOFFERSON Sept. 19, 1949 – March 9, 2019

Thomas Lee Christofferson of Austin, Texas, formerly of Fredericksburg, Texas, died peacefully on Saturday, March 9, 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A service in celebration of Tom’s life will be held in Fredericksburg at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on Tuesday, March 26th at 1:00 p.m.

Tom is survived by his loving wife, Janice, son Justin, (Nicole) of Oklahoma City, OK, step-daughter Amanda Ontrakarn (Mike) of Austin, Texas, step-son Nick Voltin (Deanna) of Spring Branch, Texas, grandsons Colt Christofferson and Grant Read More

WALLACE “WALLY” REID WEIR Feb. 21, 1933 – March 14, 2019

Wallace “Wally” Reid Weir, age 86, of Los Alamos, NM, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2019.

Wally was born on February 21, 1933, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Reid William and Lois Weir. He married his wife of more than 60 years, Joyce Anne Campfield, on November 21, 1958, in Fontana, California.

When Wally was 15, he lied about his age and joined the Santa Fe Railroad. Starting out as part of the “Bridge and Building” crew, he worked his way up to Lineman. When he left the railroad, he tried his hand at being an auto mechanic, successfully owning two Read More

MILES BARON March 13, 2019

It is with great sadness that the family of Miles Baron announces his passing on March 13, 2019 at the age of 59 years after a hard fought eight-year battle with metastatic prostate cancer.

Miles will be forever remembered by his wife of nearly 14 years Erica, his beloved son Rigel, and his brother Seth. 

Miles is preceded in death by his parents Leonard and Rita Baron.

Miles was born in Española, NM, but grew up in many different places around the country. He graduated from Boca Raton High School in Florida where he was a standout swimmer, cross-country runner, Read More

JAMES MCNALLY Dec. 18, 1936 – Feb. 26, 2019

James Henry McNally passed away peacefully on February 26, 2019 at age 82 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He was the son of James O. McNally and Edith (nee Jones) McNally and was born in Orange, New Jersey on December 18, 1936.

Educated in the Millburn, New Jersey public schools, Jim then received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Engineering Physics at Cornell University. Jim then went to Cal Tech and earned his doctorate in physics. He was a respected physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico for 25 years.

Upon retirement, Dr. McNally Read More

JOHN C. GALLIMORE Feb. 13, 2019

John C. Gallimore, Jr., age 93, World War II U.S. Merchant Marine veteran, 10 year veteran with the New Mexico State Police and our family’s patriarch passed away Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

John graduated from Howe High School in 1943; he received his bachelor’s from Austin College in 1949 and his master’s from the University of Rochester in 1953. John spent his career working for the Department of Energy as a Health Physicist, a career spanning 45 years. He worked at many different facilities including Oak Ridge, the Nevada Test Site, Los Alamos National Laboratory Read More

JACQUELINE PECKHAM Feb. 23, 1947 – Feb. 25, 2019

Jacqueline Peckham passed away on Feb. 25, 2019. She had just turned 72.

She is survived by her sister Joyce Zaugg and husband Tom, sister Lois Peckham, brother Allen Peckham and wife Karlena, by her nieces Irene Zaugg, Paige Peckham and wife Stacey, and Abby Schmitz and husband Mark, and by nephew Brian Zaugg.

She was preceded in death by her mother Phyllis and father Leonard Peckham.

Jackie was born in Mare Island Naval Base, California, February 23, 1947. Each one of her younger siblings was born in a different state – and one in Puerto Rico – as the Read More

ELIZABETH AKEN WRIGHT ANDERSON

Elizabeth Aken Wright Anderson, a long-time resident of Los Alamos, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019 at the age of 70. She passed peacefully in her sleep as she napped that afternoon. She will be missed by her family and friends.

She was preceeded in death by her parents, Muriel Zyphora and George William Wright of Chapel Hill, NC. She is survived by her husband Richard of Los Alamos, her two sons David of Brighton, CO and Jason of Austin, TX, her granddaughter Scarlett and her siblings, sister Marjorie Moe of Chapel Hill, NC, and brother Bruce Wright of Los Angeles, Read More

LESLEY (LES) G. WOOD Feb. 4, 1958 – Feb. 11, 2019

Les passed away on February 11, 2019, at home in Rio Rancho after a hard fought, courageous battle with a long-term illness. The Lord relieved Les of his pain and took him to a better place.

Les graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1976. He was a happy, outgoing, well-loved and thoughtful person. He brought many smiles to many people and was fun to be with. 

Les was very passionate about animal welfare and loved his five kitties. He loved the outdoors and spent his free time fishing and camping. Les had started his own business, which was very successful. Read More

APRIL ESTELLE WYRICK April 27, 1981 – Feb. 7, 2019

April Estelle Ray Terrell Wyrick was born on April 27, 1981 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was born alongside her twin sister, Christa, the love of her life.

She spent most of her childhood in Los Alamos, New Mexico, running cross country, swimming, playing ice hockey and snowboarding.

April experienced significant challenges in her early life, but she channeled her grief and pain into a life of serving others. For someone just in her thirties her accomplishments were vast, and included working at an orphanage in Guatemala, in a homeless shelter in Read More

LARRY BACA July 24, 1956 – Feb. 7, 2019

Larry Baca was born the youngest of six boys on July 24, 1956 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Blas Benedicto and Reyna Anna Baca (nee Salazar). 

Growing up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, he graduated from Los Alamos High School, class of 1974, as a Hilltopper star athlete in football, baseball, track, wrestling, and basketball and remained a multisport advocate for the rest of his life. 

He attended Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales, New Mexico, where he met the love of his life and best friend, Debra Marie Baca (nee Oldfield) on an oceanography Read More

LARRY BRENT “TINY” GIBBONS April 28, 1951 – Feb. 8, 2019

Larry Brent “Tiny” Gibbons, 67, a resident of White Rock, born on April 28, 1951, passed away on Friday, February 8, 2019. 

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and La Rue Gibbons.

Larry was a resident of Los Alamos county since 1963. He was employed with the Los Alamos National Laboratory for many years. He was also involved in the Los Alamos Little Theater and did wedding photography on the side.

Larry was a 1970 graduate of Los Alamos High School and then went on to attend college at Dixie college in St. George, Utah and Read More

ANNET ACOMB June 16, 1957 – Jan. 30, 2019

After a courageous battle with breast cancer, Annet Acomb, a resident of White Rock, NM went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at the age of 61.

She was born on June 16, 1957 in Enid, OK to Johnny and Emma Quinton.

She grew up in Enid and Okmulgee, OK and graduated Okmulgee High School in 1975.

After being widowed in 1990 she met and married Tim Acomb of Los Alamos, NM. Not only did she and Tim get married once, they got married twice, to make sure it stuck. The first time on November 13, 1992 at the top of Sandia Peak Tramway with local skiers as Read More

EDWARD ‘ED’ A. BALDWIN June 1, 1968 – Feb. 2, 2019

Edward “Ed” A. Baldwin, 50, of De Pere, WI, passed away unexpectedly due to natural causes.

He was born June 1, 1968 in Los Alamos, NM to the late Tom and Phyllis (Holder) Baldwin. Ed graduated from Los Alamos High School and then continued his education at Eastern New Mexico University where he received his bachelor’s degree.

In 1992 Ed married the former Molly Kulppi in Portales, NM and together they have raised two wonderful daughters.

Ed was a witty, fun-loving father, husband, and friend. He had a heart of gold and could always make people Read More

DONALD J. SANDROM July 26, 1937 – Jan. 24, 2019

Donald J. Sandstrom, 81, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 24, 2019, at Christus St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe.

He was born on July 26, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, to Nils Simon and Dagmar (Fuglsang) Sandstrom. Donald was a 1954 graduate of Hirsch High School and a 1958 graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in metallurgical engineering.

Donald’s professional career began with ACF Industries in Albuquerque, NM. In January 1961 he accepted a position at Los Alamos National Laboratory where he worked until retirement in Read More

DIANA TAYLOR May 5, 1951 – Jan. 30, 2019

After a courageous battle with bladder cancer, Diana Taylor, a resident of White Rock, NM passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at the age of 67.

She was born on May 5, 1951 in Las Vegas, NM and was the eldest of five children born to Donald and Sylvia Ortega.

She grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from Robertson High School. She attended college at Highlands University earning a Bachelors degree in education. She married Steve Taylor on December 21, 1983.

After a short time living in Denver, CO, Diana and Steve moved to Los Alamos to be Read More

BLAIR SWARTZ Jan. 10, 2019

Blair Swartz passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 10, 2019.

He is survived by Laura, his wife of 64 years, and his daughter Stacey.

Blair was born in Detroit, Michigan. He received a B.S. in Physics from Antioch College and an M.S. in Mathematics from MIT before coming to Los Alamos in 1958 as a Research Associate in the T-1 Computing Group. Early in his career at LANL he was recognized as an outstanding mathematician and accepted the Lab’s offer to continue his education. He attended NYU, where he received his PhD. in Applied Mathematics.

His professional Read More

BRIAN J. KENNEDY Oct. 7, 2018

On October 7, 2018, Brian J. Kennedy passed away peacefully at his home after a 3-year long battle with cancer.

Brian was born and raised in Los Alamos, NM where he graduated from Los Alamos High School. He majored in Math, Physics and Computer Science in college and he was a proud veteran who served his country in the Navy.

For much of his work history, Brian worked in computer software development, web security services and systems management. His interests included hiking, sailing, woodworking, and playing guitar.

He will be missed by his loving wife Lorraine of 44 Read More