Obituaries

JoAnn Johnson Dec. 10, 1931 – Jan. 1, 2026

JoAnn Johnson, 94, was born December 10, 1931 in Seymour, IN to Edna and John Garvey. She married James Johnson, her high school sweetheart in 1953. He preceded her in death in 2001. She is survived by two children; Jan Funkhouser (Clay) of Portland OR and Mike Johnson (Thai) of Redondo Beach, CA and two grandchildren Megan and Kevin Funkhouser.

Horses, politics and travel were central to her life.

They got horses shortly after arriving in Los Alamos. She and Jim enjoyed many hours riding their horses on the area’s many trails. She served as President of the Read More

LELAND STANFORD LEHMAN June 16, 1947 – Dec. 11, 2025

Leland Stanford Lehman, 78, of Los Alamos, NM, a proud Army veteran who served in Vietnam, passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

Leland “Lelo” served as a rifleman with Company B, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division from July 1967 to June 1969, achieving the rank of Sergeant. While in Vietnam, he participated in several campaigns receiving honors to include the Bronze Star with Device for Valor for heroism in the Kien Hoa Province and the Air Combat Medal with Clusters.

Born on June 16, 1947, in Santa Fe, NM, to Charles Read More

MARY ELIZABETH LINDBERG April 2, 1941 – Dec. 25, 2025

“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” Mary Elizabeth Lindberg (née Bergerson) died at home in Los Alamos, surrounded by her family on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, following a six-year journey with pancreatic cancer, which she met with her trademark defiance, humor, courage, and indomitable spirit.

Mary did not fit, and never tried to. She was a mother and a wife, yes—but also a contrarian who relished debate and treated disagreement as a form of play (and, often, a form of proof). She traveled. She dreamed. She Read More

FERMIN ROMERO Sr. Dec. 15, 2025

Fermin Romero Sr. 88, of Ojo Caliente, NM, passed away peacefully Dec. 15, 2025, after a lengthy illness.

Fermin is survived by his wife Virginia Romero and five children, Stella, Cathy, Terri, Jeanette, and Fermin Jr. many grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Fermin worked for the Zia Company and Los Alamos National Laboratory for many years, with janitorial services.

He enjoyed his many animals on his ranch and going to the casinos with family. He had a passion for music and singing with many different bands.

He had a magnetic personality and loved socializing. Read More

JOHN WILLIAM BLAYLOCK April 10, 1947 – Dec. 19, 2025

John William Blaylock, 78, went to be with his Savior Dec. 19, 2025, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

John was born April 10, 1947, in Miami, Florida, to Esther and John Blaylock. From an early age, he possessed a deep curiosity about the world that shaped the course of his life. His life was rich with adventure – piloting small planes in the Florida Keys, ocean freediving, shooting BB guns as a child in Washington, operating construction equipment in New York, and several cross-country road trips in a VW Beetle. In all of his pursuits, Read More

MELVENA BAILEY May 14, 1930 – Dec. 6, 2025

Melvena Bailey ended her journey on this earth at 9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. She was 95 years young. Melvena was born and raised in Leesville, LA. She graduated from a nearby high school in 1947, where she participated in basketball and was well liked.

After graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Milton Glenn Bailey, a US Marine sergeant, in July 1947. From that day on they took part in a 78-year adventure that included moving to Los Alamos, having children and working at LANL and LA County. After the birth of her children, Melvena worked as an accountant Read More

JOE ELFEGO GONZALES April 18, 1932 – Dec. 2, 2025

Beloved brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend, Joe Elfego Gonzales, passed from this world to be with our Lord after 93 years, on December 2, 2025, after a long and devoted life marked by love of family, friendship, faith, and service to his country.

Born on April 18, 1932, to Sabino and Maria Gonzales in Glorieta, NM. He married Enriqueta “Queta” Chavez, and they enjoyed a loving marriage for 59 years before Queta’s passing in 2015.

A proud veteran, Joe served honorably in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Read More

TESSA JANE LOPEZ Feb. 10, 2025 – Dec. 20, 1993

Our family remains deeply saddened by the loss of Tessa Jane Lopez, who passed away in February 10, 2025. She was born on December 20, 1993.

Though Tessa may be gone from our sight, she is never truly gone from our hearts. It is difficult to forget someone who was loved as deeply as she was. Her family, and especially her son, Truitt, think of her every day. Our memories of her—from a sweet child to the woman she became—will never fade.

Tessa cherished her friends, and her family was everything to her. She had a heart full of love, always eager to give, to laugh, Read More

HARRY DREICER Oct. 6, 1927 – Dec. 5, 2025

Harry Dreicer, 98, controlled thermonuclear fusion researcher and plasma physicist, passed away peacefully at home on December 5, 2025, in Santa Fe, NM.

His parents, Efim and Genia Drejcer, were Russian Jews who fled the Bolshevik Revolution and made their way to Germany where he was born on October 6, 1927. At the age of ten in 1938, he and the family fled to Italy. By 1939 they had managed to settle in the USA. He became a US citizen on July 10, 1946, his entire family having been stateless since 1922.

Harry married Roberta Jean Waldman on July 30, 1950 (divorced Read More

STEFANI KATHERINE CZUCHLEWSKI Feb. 6, 1944 – Dec. 10, 2025

Stefani Katherine Czuchlewski (“Stef”) was born Feb. 6, 1944, in the Washington, DC, area, where her father was engaged in chemical research in support of the Manhattan Project. The family moved to locations in New Jersey and Staten Island before settling in Vestal, NY, in the late 50’s. Stef graduated from Vestal HS in 1961 and began study at Harpur College (now SUNY Binghamton), from which she received a BA in Classics in 1965.

Stefani entered Yale University to pursue work toward a unique MAT degree which Read More