Nora Romero

NORA M. ROMERO   1946 - 2024

Nora M. Romero, 78, life-long resident of Truchas, was called home by our Heavenly Father on Saturday, August, 24, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Her unwavering faith and hope of Heaven, saw her through her eight (8) yearlong struggles with metastatic pancreatic cancer as she journeyed along the path of life with her belief in God’s mercy. 

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Carmelita T. and Cosme Romero; brother, Samuel T. Romero; sister, Susie Romero Gurule; paternal grandparents, Beatriz D. and Emilio Romero; and maternal grandparents, Epifania and Gavino Trujillo. She is survived by her caring brother, Henry Romero of Truchas; sisters, Cecilia Romero of Santa Fe; Bernice Mascarenas of Rio Rancho; and Mary Helen and husband Chic Kelty of Santa Fe; sisters-in-law Angie Q. Romero of Albuquerque and Viola M. Romero of Chimayo; Godchildren, Monica Ruiz, Carmen Copeland, Isaac Romero and Jenna Lewandowski. In addition, survivors include numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, (six) 6 great grand nieces and nephews and cousins, close friends, and colleagues – too numerous to list. 

As a lifelong member of the Catholic Church, Nora was a member of the Holy Rosary Church in Truchas, a mission of Holy Family Parish in Chimayo. During her lifetime she served in different ministries: She was a long time Lector at Holy Rosary Church and at Holy Family Parish. Nora was a member of the Holy Family Parish Finance Council and had previously served in the Pastoral Council. She belonged to numerous religious organizations and prayer groups – she was a Holy Family Association member, and a church cleaner. Nora attended Caminos de Fe, the Cursillo movement, the Taize Prayer group, Christian Living weekends and ACTS Retreat. In addition, Nora served as Mayordomo for three years at the Holy Rosary Church. Her most extended and dedicated service was as assistant caretaker and benefactor of the historic mission church, “Nuestra Señora Del Rosario,” built in the 1760s”. 

Nora served as one of the Mayordomos for the Holy Rosary during the church’s 50- year anniversary celebration. At that time the church needed various extensive repairs – she managed to get friends from the New Mexico State Police, who were her co-workers, to volunteer their free time to lay the tile in the kitchen floor and rectory. Through various donations and fundraising, she found contractors to replace the floor tiles in the church because of asbestos, the bathrooms were brought up to code, a new confessional was built, and the cracked concrete in the entryway was replaced. Her efforts earned her the prestigious “Saint Francis of Assisi Award” given by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

For many years she sponsored the annual Arts and Crafts Fair at the Knights of Columbus to help pay for insurance for the old mission church. Nora obtained secretarial training at NM Highlands University and Northern New Mexico Technical Vocational School in El Rito. Her strong work ethics showed when she began her career as a legal secretary. She had the privilege of working for Attorneys Albert Gonzales in Santa Fe, Chacon and Melendez, Dennis Luchetti in Espanola; and Paquin Terrazas and Roderick Dorr in Santa Fe. In 1982, she transferred to work with the New Mexico State Police where she worked for 24 years. 

 Nora’s career with the New Mexico State Police started as Secretary to the Administrative Assistant to the Chief, Larry Moya, and Budget Director, James Roybal. After six months in that position, she was promoted to Executive Secretary to Chief Maurice Cordova. She then served as executive secretary at the pleasure of five (5) succeeding Chiefs. In 1986 the department implemented the “Employee of the Year” Award program for which Nora was nominated by then Chief Neil Curran and was the first recipient of this award. 

 In her tenure with the State Police, besides working in the Office of the Chief for numerous years, Nora also worked in the Budget and Finance Section, the Uniform Bureau, Fleet Management, and Criminal Investigations Bureau. She was a committee member for the first New Mexico State Police Yearbook. Nora retired in 2006, fully enjoying life after retirement, but continued volunteering with the church working at the Santuario de Chimayo, Santo Nino Gift Shop, for a period of time. 

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Nemunaitis, her oncologist and all the oncology nurses at the UNM Cancer Center, and to the amazing Hospice nurses and caregivers who attended to her in her final days. A special thank you to all who visited, brought food, called, sent greetings and prayers, and serenaded Nora with spiritual and inspiring music which brought back pleasant memories. Each bloom of the many floral bouquets visitors brought represented a prayer, a wish, a blessing and a hope for strength and comfort during Nora’s confinement. We believe the sweet fragrance showered her with the grace of God.

Nora and the entire family were most grateful for the spiritual guidance and enrichment provided by Los Hermanos de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, the Sons of the Holy Family priests, Father John, Father Sebastian, and Father Julio; Father Darrell J. Segura, Deacon Eloy Gonzales, Deacon Johnny Cordova, and EucharisticMinister, Annette Romero from Santa Maria de La Paz; Holy Family Eucharistic Ministers Joanne Dupont Sandoval and Annette Hayden; and Bernice Mascarenas from St. John Vianny in Rio Rancho.

Public visitation and viewing will be on Monday, September 2, 2024, at the DeVargas Funeral Home located at 623 N Railroad Ave, in Espanola, beginning at 5:00 p.m., followed by the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:00 p.m. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Tuesday, September 3, at 10:00 a.m. at the Holy Family Parish Church in Chimayo. Interment will follow immediately after the Mass at the Los Llanitos Cemetery in Truchas, NM, followed by a reception at the Holy Family Parish Hall in Chimayo.

Carrying Nora to her final resting place will be her beloved nephews serving as pallbearers, Herbert I. Romero, Henry C. Romero, Martin Mascarenas, Samuel Paul Romero, Gary Romero, and Gilbert Del Mascarenas. Honorary Pallbearers are: Joseph Mascarenas, Paquin Terrazas, Michael Copeland, Rick Ruiz, Chic Kelty II, and all her nieces and nephews.

The family of Nora has entrusted their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley, 505-747-7477