Patricia Erazo Penn

Patricia E. Penn

December 4, 1946 - June 12, 2021

Sylvia Lillian Patricia Erazo Penn, known to those who loved her as Tricia, passed away on June 12, 2021. She is preceded in death by her parents, Julio and Wanda Erazo, and her brother, Christopher Erazo. 

She is survived by her brother, Rick Erazo (Carol), her niece and nephew Karina and Cristian Erazo (Stacy), her son Julian Penn (Erin Strand), her daughter Kimberlee Presswood (Herman), and her grandchildren, Joseph and Rafael Presswood. She was the proud pet-parent of her cats, Karma and Milo. 

Tricia always took the scenic route through life. She was amazed by both the wonders of the earth and the wonders of humanity. She moved around quite a bit as a child, and she continued to explore new places and new connections with people throughout her life. Tricia was born in Santiago, Chile, and she grew up in Missouri, Kansas, and Ohio. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen, but she never lost her connection to Chile or to her Chilean family. 

As a young adult, Tricia joined the Peace Corps and volunteered in Costa Rica. She also travelled to multiple countries during adulthood, including Spain, where she visited with her relatives and explored her Basque heritage. 

Tricia lived in Minnesota for 20 years, where she earned her Master’s in Special Education and worked as a special education teacher in St Paul, and later, as a Supervisor of Special Education for Dakota County schools. She specialized in compliance and worked to protect vulnerable children. 

In 1992, Tricia packed up her car and moved to New Mexico. She lived in Albuquerque for a short time, but eventually found her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She continued her work in Special Education as the Assistant Director of Special Education for the New Mexico State Department of Education, taking a short detour to work as an assistant principal at Rio Rancho High School, and returning to her path as the Special Education Director of Santa Fe Schools. After she retired, Tricia continued to offer her expertise as a consultant. 

Tricia’s preference for the scenic route extended to her love for driving. She didn’t mind winding roads, mountain roads, dirt roads, or off-road roads with barricades that she would conveniently miss. She made sure her passengers could see the beauty that she witnessed, and when she was alone, she took pictures with one hand on the wheel. 

She loved going off the direct path, and she was curious about the intricate details of both land and people. Tricia loved meeting new people. She would tell stories of daily life adventures full of names she hadn’t known the week before. She asked questions until she could repeat where a person lived during childhood, where they went to school, and who their in-laws were. She made memorable connections during even the briefest encounters with members of her beloved Santa Fe community. 

Santa Fe was Tricia’s true home. No matter which alternate paths she explored, she always knew where she wanted to see the sun rise every morning. She took her family and friends to places we wouldn’t have known without her, and now she has moved on to take her scenic route through the heavenly stars. 

Services will be held at 11:00 am, July 22, at the Rivera Kiva Chapel of Light. A ceremony in the Memorial Rose Garden will follow.