Yara Pitchford

Yara Blake Pitchford 

June 20, 1943 - November 5, 2021

         A beautiful shining light has left Santa Fe

Yara Pitchford was born to Dr. Karl and Melitta (Heiber) Bloch in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her birth was a miracle to her parents who had escaped from Nazi-ridden Vienna, Austria in 1938. The family immigrated to the United States on a coffee freighter and landed on Ellis Island. Her early years were spent in Manhattan in the Columbus Avenue neighborhood filled with other émigrés. They moved to Mexico City for 2 1/2 years and eventually settled in Great Neck, Long Island. She spent her junior year of high school in Vienna.

Her life and multi-language experiences led her to Georgetown University, where she received her degree in Applied Linguistics and where she continued her graduate studies in Portuguese literature. However, in 1974, she changed direction and went into the newly created field of Information Technology. She was a Systems Analyst for the data arm of the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the offices she had the pleasure of working with was the newly elected congressman from the Third District of New Mexico…The Honorable Bill Richardson.

It was while working in Congress that she met the love of her life and her soulmate, Gerald Pitchford. Gerald was working as staff consultant on Africa for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Yara joined Gerald in Africa and their travels were like scenes from their favorite film, “Out of Africa.

In 1984 Yara was sent to Santa Fe to help Congressman Richardson‘s office with their information technology needs. As she drove into Santa Fe onto Old Pecos Trail she had an epiphany, “What am I doing not living here?” It was a moment and a feeling that would change her life and Gerald’s. They continued to visit Santa Fe, and on their third trip in 1987 they formally eloped and were married in a side chapel of the historic Saint Francis Cathedral.

The rest is history. They moved to Santa Fe and Yara devoted herself to exploring everything she could about the Native American community. She became very involved in a movement taking place during the late 1980s and early 1990s, a Native American renaissance in fashion and jewelry. She served on the board and foundation committees of many organizations: the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Museum of New Mexico, Friends of Indian Art Committee, Pueblo V Design Institute, Foundation Board of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Friends of  Dine’ College Committee, Swaia Gala Committee and a “Runner” for SWAIA.

She treasured this time of her life and the friendships that grew out of being involved with the artists, jewelers, and clothing designers such as the  Tsosie/Gaussoin family, Virgil Ortiz, and Tish Agoyo. Yara’s natural elegance and fashion style was even more enhanced when wearing her talented friends’ creations. She & Gerald were a stunning couple always seen at gallery and museum openings.

Yara feels that she had been blessed in this life to have been born to her loving parents, who treasured her and showered her with their love and support.

And, again, when she received her second and most precious gift, when she found Gerald, her true love. He passed away in February 2021.

She is survived by Gerald’s large and loving Pitchford clan. There will be a funeral at a future date in Natchez, Mississippi...on a beautiful hill in a historic cemetery.

Yara is survived by Laura Ehrenfreund Lohman and her family. 

Heartfelt thanks to all of the “angels” who helped Yara - her dear friends, Lena S. Keslin, Jhane Myers, Edd and Carole Stepp, Connie Gaussoin, Bruce Chemel (her friend of 55 years); and Maria and Esteban Hidalgo; and many other friends, too numerous to mention; her neighbors Tammy and Renate, and many other neighbors who were there for her, along with the amazing Quail Run Security staff; Gerald’s siblings, Jim Pitchford and Judy Pitchford Bartley; her niece, Patricia Loomis; her nephew Thomas Pitchford and his husband, Andrew Kamins; and many wonderful caregivers - Fernanda, Margaret, Lydia, Gina, Rhea, Jen, Carmella, Michelle, Dolores, Keri, and Emma. Special thanks to Janet Smith of Community Palliative Care of Northern New Mexico; to her dear friend, Karen St. Clair from the Parkinson’s Alliance, Raye Cohen from NMHM, Kevin Koval from Egis, Tammy C. & Stephanie M. from Ambercare, and Kitchen Angels.

Donations in her memory to: the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, www.indianartsandculture.org; the New Mexico Holocaust Museum and Gellert Center for Education, www.nmholocaustmuseum.org; and Community Palliative Care of Northern New Mexico, www.cpcnnm.org are welcomed and greatly appreciated.