Veronica Roybal

Veronica V. Roybal, 68, a resident of Albuquerque, was called to eternal life on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. She was the beloved mother of Danielle Parker, Paul Parker, Simon Roybal, and Patrick Parker (wife Honelynn), and the proud grandmother of Zuri and Sabri Mukugize and Samuel and Sophia Parker. Veronica was born in Embudo, NM, and raised in Las Trampas. She was the Salutatorian of Peñasco High School’s Class of 1975 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of New Mexico. 

As a youth growing up in North New Mexico, Veronica excelled at academics. She came from a large family of 10 siblings, and she would often share stories of growing up in the beautiful countryside of Las Trampas, tending the fields with her grandmother, helping her mother fetch water from the acequia to wash clothes, and the excitement of her father’s return on the weekends from working the uranium mines in Grants, NM. There were countless stories of sibling love and mischief, and she would often laugh recounting her days growing up in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It was there where her core values were formed and the importance of family, hard work, sacrifice, humility, faith and love were instilled in her. 

Veronica moved to Albuquerque to attend college at UNM to become a nurse. It was her dream. Aside from her family, being a nurse was the most important thing to Veronica. Not only did she believe in service, but she believed in delivering the best quality of care possible to those in need. While numerous opportunities arose throughout the years to move her career in any direction, she was a die-hard bedside nurse for over 45 years - helping to save countless lives, train future generations of nurses and was often called in to attend to her unit’s most difficult and complicated cases. Veronica began her career at St. Joseph’s Hospital where she served in the Intensive Care Unit for 24 years. She then transferred to the Cardiac Critical Care Unit at Presbyterian Hospital in 2003. Veronica was recognized for her achievements through a series of awards. She was also a frontline worker fighting fearlessly and tirelessly during the pandemic. At work, Veronica was confident, skilled, quick on her feet, calm, and realistic. She worked with a precision and efficiency admired even by those outside the field of nursing. 

It was at St. Joseph’s where she met her first husband, and she began what would be her ultimate achievement, her family. Veronica was the type of wife and mother that gave selflessly to her family. After the loss of her first husband, Veronica was a true testament of what it means to be resilient and strong. She sacrificed and gave everything she had and everything she was to ensure her children had the life they deserved. After meeting her second husband and growing her family, these virtues only continued, and after his loss, Veronica only worked longer hours and harder days to make sure her family was cared for. She always put her children and grandchildren before herself, and to her, happiness and wellness meant that her children and grandchildren were happy and well, safe and secure. Veronica endured a lot of adversity in her life. However, she always met it with grace and composure - only exemplifying her resilience and strength mentioned before. She was a problem solver, thinker, doer, and the biggest resource and support to her children, as well as her family and friends. It’s safe to say that none of her children would be where they are without her. 

Veronica was outgoing and welcoming to all. She was generous and non-judgmental, and she would listen with a tender and caring ear. She was a confidant to many, and everyone in her life had a special and unique bond with her for this reason. Veronica was loyal and trustworthy, and she would give you the shirt off her back if you asked - and many times she would even without it. Veronica loved to cook. Her “special rice”, lemon chicken, and chicken pot pie are popular favorites that will be missed. No one could cook them like her. She enjoyed gardening, spending time with her grandchildren and gazing at the moon. She was the type of person to call you and tell you to “go look at the moon” as she appreciated God’s glory in even the simplest of things. Veronica was funny and a great storyteller, often making her family and friends laugh with her impressions and animated anecdotes and her smile and laugh will be forever missed. She was truly one of a kind. 

She was preceded in death by her spouses Larry Parker and Michael Roybal, her parents José and Genevieve Sandoval, baby brother David, her grandmother Fermina Leyba, nephew Sean Hennelly and father-in-law Theodore Roybal.

Veronica is survived by her children: Danielle Parker and daughters Zuri and Sabri, Paul Parker and Simon Roybal, and Patrick Parker, his wife Honelynn and children Samuel and Sophia; siblings: Patricia Torres and husband Johnny, Josephine Martinez and husband Isaac, Sandra Sandoval, Pauline Suzanne Lopez and husband Estevan, José Andrés Sandoval, Conrado Sandoval and wife Phylis, Rebecca Sandoval, David Sandoval and Ramon Sandoval; mothers-in-law Lucy Parker and Sally Roybal; siblings-in-law: Paula Parker, Carlos Roybal, Myron Roybal, Dominic Roybal and wife Susan, Louella Roybal, Denise Montoya and husband Steve, Carmella Romero and husband Fred; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Catholic Rosary will be prayed at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at DeVargas Funeral Home in Española, NM.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at San José de Gracia Church in Las Trampas, NM, with interment to follow.

The family of Veronica Roybal has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Cremation of the Espanola, Valley. www.devargasfuneral.com 505-747-7477