Annie Valdez

It is with great sadness that my beloved wife of 65 years Annie Valdez was called by our Lord Jesus Christ into His arms on May 24, 2022.

Annie was preceded in death by her parents Fidel Archuleta and Octaviana Quintana Archuleta; sister Tonita Trujillo (Rey); and brother Johnny Archuleta.

Annie is survived by her husband of 65 years, Eli Valdez; daughter Sandra Guest (Michael) of San Francisco, CA; sons Roland and Gene of Santa Fe; grandchildren Marie James (Michael), Matthew Guest, Molly Ann Guest, Jolene Valdez; great granddaughter Isabelle James; sisters Consuelo, Angie (Lalo), Abelina, and Salome; and many nephews and nieces.

A lifelong resident of Santa Fe, Annie was born and raised in Abiquiu, NM on August 8, 1936.

With her father’s and mother’s guidance, Annie, her five sisters and only brother continued to excel in their lives.

In her early childhood years, Annie attended school in Abiquiu, taught by the sisters at the Santo Tomas de Apostle Catholic Church parochial school, then went on to the Espanola Public Schools, and finally at the Northern New Mexico Normal School in El Rito, where Annie would meet her husband-to-be Eli.

Being in school together for about two years, after completing high school, Eli and Annie were married in the fall of 1955.

Eli and Annie moved to Santa Fe to start their lives together and begin to raise their family, which would be their daughter, Sandra, and two sons, Roland and Gene.

Their family would eventually expand to four grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Three of their four grandchildren would live and be raised in San Francisco, California. Annie had taken great pleasure and love in helping to raise her granddaughter Jolene.

After raising a family, Annie started her working career in different jobs. Annie worked at doctor offices for a few years, followed by working for a few state government agencies, finally working for the city government where she would retire from.

During their retirement years, Eli and Annie enjoyed going on sea cruises to different locations such as Italy, Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Panama Canal, Costa Rica, the Caribbean Islands, the Mexican Riviera, coastal Canada, and Alaska.

Eli and Annie also enjoyed bus tours to Mexico City, Mexico; Branson, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; and Annie’s favorite, Irondale, Alabama, visiting the EWTN four times.

In their travels, Eli and Annie visited: the Vatican City, Rome, Italy; Our Lady of Fatima, Fatima, Portugal; The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico; the Mother Angelica Shrine, Hanceville, Alabama; and the Mother Cabrini Shrine, Golden, Colorado.

A devout Roman Catholic at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Annie is a member of both the Altar Society and Praying Mothers. Over the years, Annie participated in different organizations: the city’s Retired Senior Volunteers Program and the Retired Eagles Activity Club.

One of Annie’s joys was to watch and pray daily along with the EWTN tv broadcast of the Holy Rosary at 5:30 am and the Daily Mass at 6:00 am. Additionally, to pray for her family, her extended family, all her very dear friends, and others to include prayers for health, happiness, and joy.

Services will be held on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1301 Osage Avenue, Santa Fe, with a Rosary at 10 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 am.  An Interment will be held at a later date.