Patricia D. Benavídez

Patricia D. Benavídez, October 29, 1947 – March 1, 2025

Written by

Crista F. Benavídez

March 25, 2025

FADE IN:

INT. The ICU waiting room at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Tuesday evening.

Soft, fluorescent light illuminates the anxious faces of family and friends. The rhythmic beeping of monitors drifts from behind closed doors. Crista, Patricia’s daughter, waits anxiously with her younger brother, Patrick, for news about their mom. Their dad, Modesto, repeatedly asks where his wife is and how he got there (Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease).

CRISTA (Wringing her hands, pacing. Talking aloud to herself)

It all happened so fast. One minute I was checking emails, the next…an instant message from James at the Pecos Medical Center… Mom’s being taken by ambulance to St. Vincent’s. I have to get there…Here. I AM here, not in Albuquerque. I can’t believe this. Lord, please let her be okay.

DOCTOR GERRY (Putting a comforting hand on Crista’s arm. Matter of fact and compassionate.) We placed stents to get the blood flow back to her heart, but there’s a lot of damage. She waited too long to get help. She may not make it. The next 24 hours are critical… INT. Patricia’s ICU room. Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Wednesday midday.

PATRICK (Staring blankly ahead) I thought she’d pull through…and then…the stroke. She was fine… talking this morning and about to have breakfast… just like that. Massive. They said…they said it was…devastating.

INT. Patricia’s ICU room. Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Saturday morning. Sound of a distant, urgent alarm from inside the ICU, quickly silenced. Close-up on Crista’s tear-filled eyes. She looks towards the closed ICU doors, then back to the group.

CRISTA (Voice trembling) It’s been…it’s been so long. Since Tuesday. She survived the heart attack but then the stroke. They didn’t know why the stroke happened. ... still no answers. And now…it’s Saturday. What’s the date? March first?

DANIEL: (Looking at his watch, his voice flat) Ten oh five.

(A long, drawn-out beep from a nearby monitor cuts through the tense silence. A nurse rushes into the waiting room, her face grave.)

Nurse: (Softly, to the family) I’m so sorry.

(Crista gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. Daniel’s shoulders slump. They begin to weep quietly.)

Nurse: (Whispering) She’s at peace now.

The scene fades as the family members comfort each other, the soft, rhythmic beeping of the remaining monitors a stark reminder of the loss.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Patricia’s final days were a drama worthy of her favorite soaps. If only Shemar Moore or A Martinez had made a cameo, it would have been perfect.

FADE TO BLACK.

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While this isn’t exactly how things went down with my mom’s passing, it’s close enough. Anyone who knew my mom knew that she loved soap operas, her “stories.” I felt it only fitting to start her obituary with summarizing scenes from the last “Days of [Her] Life.” –Crista

Born on October 29, 1947, in Aztec, NM, Patricia Dolores Ulibarri was the second child of seven born to José Gilberto (1924 - 1996) and Cleotilde Dora Maestas Ulibarri (1926 - 2012). The family moved often and resided at various times in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. She graduated high school from Dulce High in 1965 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education with a major in Health & Physical Education and a minor in Home Economics from New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) in 1970. It was at NMHU where she met José Modesto who became her husband on May 1, 1971. Except for her first year when she taught at Questa High School, she spent 27 years as a teacher (Head Start, kindergarten, grades 7-12 Home Economics, grades 9-12 Marriage and Parenting, Child Development, Applied Math, Foods I & II, Clothing I & II, and Culinary Arts) for Pecos Independent Schools in Pecos, NM. Blessed with three children, Daniel, Crista, and Patrick, Patricia dedicated her life to not only raising her children but also rearing the children and young adults of her community.

Her achievements include starting and growing an FCCLA (formerly named FHA/HERO) chapter at Pecos Jr. and Sr. High that became well-known for its talented and well-prepared students who often took home medals in state and national competitive events ranging from Culinary Arts, Job Interview, Illustrated Talk, Parliamentary Procedure, and more. As if being a mom, wife, full-time teacher, and FCCLA Advisor weren’t enough to fill her days, she was also a cheer and volleyball coach.

After retiring from teaching in 1997, she and her husband enjoyed traveling. They took in the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Spain, Israel, Panama, and many US states.

She loved spending time with her grandchildren, Xavier, Adán, Esperanza, and Andrés, whenever she had the opportunity. Her eyes always lit up at the sight of any of them.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jose G. and Cleotilde D. Maestas Ulibarri; nephew Eugene “Geno” Martinez, and great nephew Frederick Dewon Martin, Jr. She is survived by her husband, Jose Modesto Benavidez, son, Daniel (Alicia) Benavídez, daughter, Crista Benavídez, and son, Patrick Benavídez; grandchildren: Xavier and Adán Benavidez, Esperanza and Andrés Benavídez-Martínez, and Lauren Skye Tyree Benavídez; greatgrandchild, Camilia Patricia Benavídez. Siblings: Bertha Boyden, Andy (Kathy) Ulibarri, JoAnn Stoltenberg, Alice (Allen) Barnard, James (Lana) Ulibarri, Felicia (José) Carrillo, and many nieces and nephews.

We will gather at St. Anthony of Padua to pray the Rosary and share memories at 10:00 AM on June 6, 2025, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. St. Anthony's Loop, 11 St Anthony’s Loop, Pecos, NM 87552. Interment and a reception will follow the Mass.

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EPILOGUE

EXT. The Pecos Community Library & Resource Center. A small, newly installed plaque gleams in the soft afternoon light. Crista stands before it, a gentle smile on her face, tears welling in her eyes. Her children, Esperanza and Andrés; her dad, her brother Daniel and his family, and Patrick, all stand beside her.

(Close-up on the plaque, which reads: "In Loving Memory of Patricia D. Benavidez A Gift to the Community She Loved.")

Crista: (Voiceover, soft and reflective) Mom always had a way of saying what she meant. No fuss, no frills. Just… honesty.

(Flashback, quick and blurry: A young Crista holding a bouquet of wildflowers, her mother smiling warmly.)

Mom (Voiceover, slightly raspy): "Give them to me while I'm alive, Sunshine. What good are they going to do me when I'm gone?!"

(Back to the present. Crista traces the letters on the plaque with her fingertips.)

Crista: She never wanted flowers at her funeral. She wanted… this.

(Camera pans to show the library's shelves, filled with books. A few children are quietly reading at a table. A librarian smiles warmly.)

Daniel: (Softly) Remember the bookmobile? She’d drag us there every time it came to town.

Patrick: (Nodding) And her lottery dream. A library for Pecos. She’d be so proud.

Crista: (Turning to everyone beside her, her smile widening) She always said, "If I win the lottery..." Well, she didn't win the lottery, but she did win. She won us. She won this community.

(Crista looks back at the plaque, her expression filled with love and remembrance. The camera slowly zooms out, showing the library's warm, inviting space. A gentle, hopeful melody plays.)

Crista (Voiceover): So, instead of flowers, we gave her this. A place where stories live on, just like her memory. And maybe, just maybe, somewhere, she’s finally checking out that book she always wanted to read.

(Fade to black.)

Donations to the Pecos Community Library & Resource Center may be sent to either of the following:

Pecos Community Library & Resource Center c/o Treasurer, In Memory of Patricia D. Benavidez P.O. Box 393 Pecos, NM 87552

First Financial Credit Union, c/o Crista Benavídez, Patricia Benavídez Pecos Library Fund 2201 Rio Rancho Blvd. SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124 505-766-5600