Dorothy Hernandez

Dorothy Hernandez 81, resident of Santa Fe, NM passed away on August 10, 2018. She was born on February 21, 1937 in Kansas City, Missouri to Eilsen and Joe Ziegler. She married Joe L. Hernandez on April 4, 1959. Dorothy is preceded in death by her husband: Joe L. Hernandez, brother: Joe Ziegler III and parents: Eilsen and Joe Ziegler Jr. She is survived by her sisters: Jeanne Buffa and Deana Fitzgibbons, sons: Joe L. Hernandez Jr. and David Hernandez (Rosabelle), daughters: Teresa Hernandez, Cristina H. Feldewert (Mike), Miquelita Hernandez-Eklund (Derge), Barbara Hernandez and (Jean F.), son: Ben Hernandez, 18 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Dorothy earned her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 1959. She worked as a teacher first in Kansas City then in Santa Fe until, as her family grew, she had to put her career on hold and direct her efforts toward raising her children. She stayed very active in the community leading Girl Scout troops, Cub Scout troops, and teaching art classes at her children's schools. She was a talented artist who pushed herself to learn new techniques and skills from printmaking and silk-screening to painting, drawing, sculpting and woodcarving. She deepened her faith and compassion by studying scripture, dreams and Jungian Psychology for years with Father Jim Wolff. She saw the good in people. She loved teaching Bible Stories to the young children at Santa Maria de la Paz and sharing Traditional Spanish Colonial religious Retablo painting with her many grandchildren. She taught and shared and gave more than one person should have been capable of doing. She had a "can-do" approach to life and if something needed to be done, she knew how to make it fun. She imparted this attitude to her children and grandchildren. She was a lifelong teacher and a life long learner. Dorothy's friends and family loved and appreciated her open, kindhearted nature and true generosity of spirit as well as her sense of humor and quick smile. She was married to Joe L. Hernandez for 47 years- from 1959 until his death in 2006. Together they raised a family and created a home that was a welcoming place for members of the larger community- including foreign exchange students, students at the College of Santa Fe, their church community, their friends and the friends of their children and grandchildren. Dorothy loved her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved her students and her community. Above all, she loved God and always set a good example of what a devoted follower of Christ looked like. She lived the words of Christ as given us in John 13:34, "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." She loved greatly and she is greatly loved. Words cannot describe how deeply she will be missed. Pallbearers: Hector Hernandez, Adriana Hernandez, Carmen Hernandez, Michelle Hernandez, Roxanne Hernandez, Martha Hernandez, Elizabeth Hernandez, Rebecca Miller, Veronica Clark and Stephen Clark. Honorary Pallbearers: Matthew Clark, Andrew Clark, Colleen Feldewert, Sally Baca, John Feldewert, Zanzia Eklund, Violet Eklund and Eva Eklund. A Rosary will be recited on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the Kiva Chapel of Light located at 417 East Rodeo Road Santa Fe, NM. Funeral Mass will be on Friday, August 17, 2018 at Santa Maria De La Paz at 10:00 a.m. with Interment to follow at Rosario Cemetery.