Juan Baldonado

On Labor Day in 1969 Juan “Rob” Baldonado was born. He entered the world early and spent16 days being treated for hyaline membrane disease, as it was called then. After his lungsmatured and opened and a strange sound in his heart resolved, he needed to stay in thehospital nursery long enough to meet the discharge weight of 5 pounds. He came home to ourapartment at 939 Iris Street Apt 16. An uncanny coincidence as this is now the Los AlamosCounty building where his burial site was purchased after his unexpected death, at home,December 9, 2022.

This is the beginning and the end, in between were 53 years of life. Some easy, some not soeasy, but always interesting.

He was inventive, artistic, and daring. He was loyal to his friends and family, he could becharming and whatever the opposite of charming is, he could be that as well. He was hardworking and quickly became skilled at whatever new undertaking he thought would be “cool” totry. These undertakings included palm tree pruning,home and commercial construction,concrete work, blacksmithing, ferrier work, bartending, bouncing, prep cook and chef. He peeledlodgepoles, skinned animals, made helmets and armor. He helped ranch and worked in a gunshop. He trained dogs in obedience, birding, hunting, security, bomb sniffing and trials. He alsoworked as an oil well laborer, in heavy machinery maintenance, and who knows what he didn'ttell us. He worked in Las Vegas Nevada, Whitefish Montana, Hungry Horse Montana, KalispellMontana, Ardmore Oklahoma, Los Alamos, Espanola, Pojoaque, Rodeo New Mexico. CelinaTexas, Blue Ridge Texas, Bedias Texas, Navasota Texas, Tioga North Dakota, Fargo NorthDakota, Denver Colorado. Among non-work undertakings he enjoyed heavy armor fighting inthe SCA. He loved firearms and their history, he read books about WW1 and WW11 and talkedabout the soldiers as though he knew them personally. He shared his grandfather's stories ofBataan with”the old guys at the V”. He requested a visit by the LDS missionaries and as theyhelped with dogs and kennels they taught him lessons and were with him at his baptism inNavasota Texas.

He worked in the hottest and coldest places and loved and complained about them all. He hadnumerous serious health issues but had the benefit of extremely caring and competent doctorswhen he would return home to heal. His family would like to thank Dr. Tyler Taylor, Dr GlendonCook, Dr. Glenda King, Dr. Gladden, and their staff as well as Doug Wacker and Chris Garcia ofHanger Clinic for the excellent care they provided.

We also wish to thank all the amputees who communicated through Instagram for theircompassion, jokes and helpful hints. Sister Phoenix as he called One Footed Phoenix wasalways uplifting and often quoted.

These are the places he was and the things he worked at, but it's the stories good and bad,serious and hysterically funny that really tell who he was and those of us who love him tell themoften. He was a big man and has left a big hole in our hearts.

Rob is survived by his parents Juan and Kathleen Baldonado, daughters Sidney and Chelsea,his brother Eric and wife Dez, nephews Damon and Sagar and niece Asche and husbandDavid. His large family includes Aunts, Uncles and cousins and innumerable friends from NewMexico to Montana, Texas to North Dakota.

Our heartfelt thank you to Amber of Rivera Funerals and Cremations for her compassionateguidance during this time.

A Celebration of Rob's life will be held April 22, from 12 noon to 2:30 at the Blue Window Bistro.Burial at 3:00 will be at Guaje Pines Cemetery.

Please leave messages for friends and family, pictures, and stories of Rob's life here to enjoy now and in the future.