Emilio A. Sanchez

Emilio A. Sanchez, 94, beloved brother, husband and uncle passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Fe on January 11, 2020 after a lengthy illness.

Emilio was preceded in death by his parents, Joe & Josephita Sanchez; wife, Virginia; his brothers, Christobal, John and Joe Sanchez; his sister, Francis Sanchez.

Emilio is survived by his many nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends, who also knew him as “Uncle.”

Emilio was the third of five children, born in Lakin, Kansas to Joe & Josephita Sanchez in October 1925. Emilio would often recount memories of his childhood in Roy, New Mexico, where he and his siblings were raised; walking through the fields to milk cows for his mother and excelling at math in school. In 1946 Emilio was enlisted in the U.S. Army as a teletype operator in the Philippines during World War II. Upon returning to New Mexico in 1946, he made many attempts to find work in the small village of Roy. In 1949 he moved to Santa Fe where he became a brick layer tender for the next several years, working at numerous commercial construction projects in the Santa Fe area. Emilio was well known for the masonry and stone fireplaces he built in Santa Fe residences. He was a proud lifetime member of the International Union Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers.  He retired at age 61 when he began to lose his vision. In 1956 he married his wife, Virginia, who later died in 1993 after a lengthy illness. A Rosary will be recited on Monday, January 27, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. followed by Mass of Christian Burial at St. Anne’s Catholic Parish located at 511 Alicia Street, Santa Fe, NM. Interment will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery located at 501 North Guadalupe Street on January 27, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

The family would like to thank the staff of Del Corazon Hospice for their care and compassion during the extended time of his illness.