Johnny E. Valdez, this otherwise happy soul, lost a very fast and dirty fight with stinking pancreatic cancer, dying at his home on July 25, 2016 in Truth or Consequences, NM. He was 73 years old.
He was born to Ascencion Cardenas Valdez in Raton, NM on August 13, 1942. His grandmother, Manuelita Cardenas, helped raise him.
Johnny graduated from Raton High School in 1960 and immediately served in the United States Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller for four years.
He was married to Linda Hale at Lake Maloya in Sugarite Canyon, NM on April 1, 2004 – no fooling.
Johnny spent several years with White’s Auto Stores in Albuquerque and then Raton until opening his own shop “Johnny’s Care & Lawnmower Repair” and retiring in 2004.
He was very proud to be a native New Mexican and lived most of his life in Raton. He was enjoying his retirement years in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He would go fishing with his brother, Andy, and enjoyed playing golf, especially the 19th hole. He loved entertaining his many friends on the “Redneck Patio & Cantina”.
He was an inventor of many useful items, including his fan favorite, “Johnny Block”. He made several Adirondack-style patio chairs that many of his friends all enjoy.
Johnny was known as a verbal antagonist to his friend, Leroy, and the “Nooners” at Sierra del Rio (i.e. Coach, Butch, Bobby, Deano, Jim, Warren, Norb, Bill and Jerry).
Johnny is survived by his spouse, Linda Hale; he was very proud of his only son, John Paul and his wife Carmen Valdez, of Albuquerque, his daughter Annemarie & husband Dave of Ohio, step-daughter Jaime and husband, Mitch Bengston of Rio Rancho, mother-in-law Judy Hale Markes of Florida, grandchildren Kira, Joaquin, Rome, Siena, Amelia, Adam, Micaela, Talya, Malakai and Kapriana, brothers Andy and wife Rosalie of Albuquerque and Jerry (Cupie) and wife Lucy of Louisiana, sisters Viola (Nena) Barela of Colorado, Loretta and Dennis Worthington of Ruidoso, and Larry and Anthony Cardenas. He also had several much younger friends he loved and called his hitos: Pasquinel and Zeb Marchiondo, Gene Garcia and Pat Lovato in Raton, and recently Ricky and Vicky Bouvet of Garfield. He loved his cat Leche!
He was preceded in death by his sister, Henrietta Valdez, in 1949.
Rosary will be on July 31, 2016 at 7:30 PM and Mass at 10 AM Monday, August 1, 2016 at St. Patrick’s-St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Raton, NM. Johnny will be laid to rest in Fairmont Cemetery in Raton, NM.
Honorary pallbearers are J.P. Valdez, Rome Valdez, Joaquin Valdez, Gene Garcia, Patrick Lovato, Ricky Bouvet, Leroy Bierner and Malakai Bengston.
A special thank you to the staff at the Veteran’s Hospital in Albuquerque and the Roadrunners Women’s Golf Association.
I love you Uncle.
I was fortunate to see Johnny at the 55th reunion of the class of 1960 last year in Raton. RIP old friend, classmate and team mate at RHS.
George Savage