Max J. Valdez arrived in Heaven on January 14, 2019.
Max was born January 14, 1956 in Las Vegas, N.M., the first child of Max A. and Rosabel (Espinoza) Valdez. Max went to and graduated from Mora High School in 1973. He went on to graduate from NMSU in 1979. Max married Cindy Kennedy in 1976 and to that union they had three children, Jeremy, Antoinette and Jeanette.
Max began his military career at NMSU in 1976 when he enrolled in ROTC. He joined the U.S. Army in 1979 as a commissioned officer. Max became Commander of Alpha Battery in Neu-Ulm, Germany and was also the Alpha Battery Commander in Ft. Riley, KS. Max was an instructor at Command and General Staff College at Leavenworth, KS. Max retired as a Major in 1996 and was very proud of his military career.
After retirement from the military, Max began a new career with American Family Insurance and owned and operated his agency in Leavenworth , KS for 10 years.
Upon his 2nd retirement, Max and Cindy returned to his childhood home where he began ranching in the Mora, Guadalupita and Black Lake areas he loved so well.
Max was preceded in death by his father Max A. in 1997. He is survived by his mother Rose of Rio Rancho, N.M., one brother Andrew of Las Vegas, N.V., two sisters Patricia (Barry) Cooper of Colorado Springs, CO, and Monica (Benjamin) Arguello of Peralta, N.M. Max is survived by his wife Cindy and his pride and joy: son Jeremy (Sarah) Valdez of Denver, CO, daughters Antoinette (Aaron) Krouse of Leavenworth, KS and Jeanette Valdez of Manhattan, KS and 2 granddaughters, Kennedy Valdez and Campbell Krouse. Max is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be Saturday January 19, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. at the VFW Hall in Mora, NM.
Arrangements and celebration of love are under the direction of the Yaksich-Long Funeral Home of Raton.
