Joseph Paña Sr.

Joseph A Paña Sr. , 71, a lifelong resident of Alcalde, was a deeply faithful man who was called home by our heavenly father on Friday, December 18, 2020. He was preceded in death by his parents, Zacarias Paña Sr. and Sofia Paña; mother-in-law, Josephine Martinez and father-in-law, Aduro Salazar; sisters-in-law, Sylvia Paña and Sarah Martinez; special uncle and aunt, Billy and Becky Gonzales; grandsons, Derek Martinez and Devin Martinez.

He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend of 52 years, Annabelle Paña; brother, Zacarias Paña Jr.; his children, Joseph Paña Jr. (Michole), Rachel Paña (Raymond Archuleta), Matthew Paña (Paula) and Andria Paña; grandchildren, Marlyne Campos (Vince), Kendra Brito (Josh), Jacquelynn Paña (Antonio Peña), Rayandra Lujan-Paña (Brandon Salazar), Jenalle Paña, Raymond Lujan-Paña, Andray Lujan-Paña, JoeRay Paña and LuciAnna Archuleta; great-grandchildren, Jeramiah “Miah” Salazar, Lilly Campos and baby Brito. Raymond Lujan who was like a son to him; brother-in-law, Larry Martinez; sister-in-law, Rosemary Urbina (Leo); and his beloved yorkie “Indye”; special cousins, nephews and nieces including the Paña, Moya, Maestas and Martinez families as well as special friends whom he shared his daily coffee and breakfast with.

Special words from his granddaughter Jacquelynn Paña sums up what our husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, cousin and friend was about:

I wish everyone could have had the opportunity to meet my Grampa. He was the coolest, most selfless loving Grampa you’d ever meet. All it would take is 30 seconds for you to fall in love with him. Because 30 seconds is all it would take for him lure you inside, completely rename you, and try to feed you with some left-over breakfast or dinner. “Come on don’t you want to eat, it’s good”.

He had something about him that just by being around his presence would completely brighten your day.

I think of all his great qualities, my grampa’s best qualities, my favorite qualities, about himself were that he loved being a husband, a dad, a Grampa, and even more so being a great Grampa. It is without a doubt he was the best. Him and my grama were true partners in crime, you never saw one without the other.

The greatest gift my grampa could have ever given us was his faith in God, his passion for EVERYTHING, and his endless amount of love.

Today we celebrate all the love and memories you have given us.

As my Grampa would say, “right on!”

Last but not least he would say “You got it Toyota. Aye te wadayo!”

A rosary will be recited on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ohkay Owingeh with a memorial mass to follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial to follow at the Alcalde Catholic Cemetery.

The family of Joseph A. Pana Sr. has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espanola Valley.