TERESA BACA SMITH Dec. 4, 2014
Teresa Baca Smith (nee Salazar), longtime resident of Los Alamos, previously of Santa Fe, passed away on December 4, 2014.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Smith; parents, Odila and Joaquin Salazar; brothers Jack, Robert, Tom and Rudy Salazar; and sisters Lydia Silveria and Ofelia Apodaca.
She is survived by her son, Mark Baca of Platteville, Wisconsin; daughters Diana Baca of Denver, Colorado and Paula Baca of Ashland, Oregon; granddaughter Arianna Brooks of Ashland, Oregon; sister Clara (Joe) Briones of Santa Fe; brother Dennis (Julia) of Santa Fe; sisters-in-law Anita Salazar of Santa Fe and Alice (Chuck) Dennis of Bonita Springs, Florida; and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Teresa was born in La Cuchilla (now Hernandez), NM. She moved to Santa Fe as a child and graduated from Santa Fe High School. She moved to Los Alamos in 1953 and worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, taking time off to raise her three children. She returned to LANL where she worked many years in Personnel, retiring in 1990. After retiring, she volunteered for many years at the Hospital Auxiliary Lobby Shop at the Los Alamos Medical Center.
Teresa liked to travel and visited places throughout the US, Canada and Europe. She loved to cook for family and friends. Her tortillas and tamales were the best around. She also loved to eat ice cream and watch classic movies especially musicals. Her favorite pastime was playing video poker, mostly at Cities of Gold Casino, where she had many friends. She was lucky at the casino, which some attribute to her Halloween birthday. She enjoyed monthly family luncheons, a ritual that started several years ago. She valued her independence and took pleasure in taking care of her home.
Her pride and joy was her only grandchild, Arianna, whom she called her “Little Sweetheart.”
A rosary will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in the Santuario, 417 Agua Fria, Santa Fe. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Los Alamos Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary.
