John Trujillo

John Edward Trujillo passed away in Angel Fire on November 23, 2020 following a lengthy illness. He was born on May 28, 1945 in Clayton, New Mexico, the tenth of thirteen siblings. He spent his childhood making mischief on the Anchor D cattle ranch outside of Texhoma, Oklahoma, where his father worked as a foreman. John, or JT as most people knew him, graduated from St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe in 1963. A stand-out running back, he went on to play football at Highlands University, graduating with a degree in business administration and higher education. In 1967, he enlisted in the United States Army and served a tour in Vietnam, receiving two purple hearts and two bronze stars for his service. After his discharge from the Army, he moved to San Antonio, Texas where he worked as the financial aid director at San Antonio Community College. He returned to New Mexico and eventually settled in the Moreno Valley. An avid outdoorsman, JT guided hunts for many years. His work in real estate allowed him to spend much of his time traversing the mountains, usually with a good friend in the passenger’s seat to keep him company. In 1983, he married Linda Maschmeier, a young widow with three children. Eventually his path led him back to education. He spent time in the classroom with children of all ages and coached football in Santa Fe and Taos before becoming an administrator. In his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with Linda in their motorhome, riding his Missouri Fox Trotters and exploring the expansive wilderness he so loved from behind the wheel of his pickup or The General. Anyone who knew JT knows he loved to tell a story, and it was often hard to separate fact from fiction. What is not hard to imagine is how much he will be missed by the friends and family who survive him.

In lieu of flowers, donations in JT’s memory may be sent to the National Veterans Wellness and Healing Center of Angel Fire, Inc., P.O. Box 805, Angel Fire, NM 87710.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home, Taos.  To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com