Obituaries

JOANNE MURPHEY PROGESS Feb. 11, 1939 – Feb. 14, 2025

Joanne Progess, 86, passed away peacefully at home with her loved ones around her comforting her, holding her and praying with her.

Mom was born in Corpus Christi and spent most of her life there raising her children and family with her husband of 37 years, Glenn Progess. Dad worked as a mechanical engineer in the oil field. With Dad’s work we all had the opportunity to travel overseas in the mid 80s which was a memorable experience for all. Like Mom, Dad had a tender heart and through trials and love, together they figured it out along the way.

Mom took Read More

STEVE CONLEY March 31, 1953 – Feb. 12, 2025

Steve Conley, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away Feb. 12, 2025, at the age of 71. Born March 31, 1953, in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Steve moved with his family to Los Alamos, New Mexico when he was a young child. He was a proud graduate of Los Alamos High School, class of 1971. Steve married his best friend, Lynn, in 1999, and together they shared many adventures, creating a lifetime of memories.

Steve’s life was one of adventure, passion, and devotion to his family. An avid skier, he spent countless winter weekends at Pajarito Ski Hill, Read More

EMMA ‘BEVERLY’ KATCHER July 7, 1923 – Feb. 10, 2025

Emma passed away on February 10, 2025, peacefully at home with family. She was born on July 7, 1923, in Mora, NM. She was the 2nd oldest of 5 children, 4 girls and 1 boy.

Emma’s life started out during some tough times. Her family had lost both of her grandpas within a week due to the Spanish Flu pandemic and losing her father when she was only 7 years old. Her mother had to go find work in Santa Fe, NM to support her children and had to leave Emma and her siblings in the care of her grandma who also lived in Mora. While living with their grandma they attended school, Read More

JAMES ARTHUR HAUGEN March 9, 1942 – Feb. 1, 2025

James Haugen died Feb. 1, 2025, in Denver, CO after battling a long illness.

Jim was born March 9, 1942, in Alpena, SD to Arthur Haugen and Leona (Srstka) Haugen and grew up on farm homesteaded by his Norwegian grandfather Sivert Olsen Haugen.

He began his education in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated as the 1960 valedictorian of Wessington Springs, SD High School. He then attended the US Naval Academy where he was awarded the Foreign Wars Prize for Excellence in Mathematics upon graduation in 1964. While in the Navy, he completed his MSCE from the Read More

JERRY ALLEN VILLAREAL Feb. 28, 1946 – Feb. 11, 2025

Jerry Allen Villareal, beloved husband, uncle, educator, and legendary basketball coach, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Born on February 28, 1946, in Alcalde, New Mexico, Jerry made his home in Ojo Caliente, where his passion for community, teaching, and sports left a lasting impact on all who knew him.

On September 12, 1971, Jerry married the love of his life, Noline E. Villareal, sharing a beautiful partnership filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Read More

MARY KATHERINE DESGEORGES Nov. 25, 1930 – Feb. 7, 2025

Mary Katherine DesGeorges left this world Feb. 7, 2025, leaving behind a circle of family members who deeply feel the weight of her loss, and can attest to the impact of a life centered around family. She had a strong desire that her family stay bonded together with each generation.

She is survived by her loving husband, Joseph A. DesGeorges Jr. They were married for 68 years! Katherine was fiercely devoted to her family, including her 3 children and their spouses, 5 granddaughters, and two great-grandsons. She was faced with many challenges Read More

DAVID BROWN Feb. 2, 1938 – Feb. 10, 2025

David Brown was born to Gladys and David Brown on February 2, 1938, in Austin, Texas. Seven years later, Dave found his forever home in the picturesque mountains of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Growing up, Dave enjoyed riding in the rodeo and boxing, beating the Air Force Champion on his way to becoming the State and Golden Glove Champion.

Professionally, Dave was a union plumber pipe fitter by trade and later became a project manager. He had a hand in many of the buildings and homes that exist in Los Alamos today; a physical manifestation of how ingrained he was in the Read More

BARBARA LEE TEAGUE SEEGER
April 13, 1936 – Jan. 24, 2025

Longtime Los Alamos resident Barbara Lee Teague Seeger died peacefully in her home Jan. 24, 2025. She was 88 years old.

Barbara was born to Milton Teague and Ethel Warfield Teague of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, April 13, 1936. She loved animals, especially her horse Ginger. She attended Arkadelphia High School, where she was valedictorian and a member of the National Honor Society. She graduated in 1954. She then studied romance languages at Rice University, in Houston, Texas, where she graduated in 1958.

While in college, she went on Read More

WILLIAM ROBERTSON Jan. 28, 2025

William Robertson, beloved husband, father, friend, and passionate soul passed away Jan. 28, 2025, at the age of 62. His warmth, huge smile, humor, and unwavering love for the things that brought him joy will forever be remembered by those who knew him.

He graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1988 with a degree in physics and went on to earn his master’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His career spanned decades of innovation and excellence, beginning at Kimberly-Clark, followed by KLA Corporation, and culminating Read More

BARBARA JEAN WILSON 1935 – Jan. 18, 2025

Barbara Jean Wilson, born 1935 on the Navajo Reservation near Gallup, NM, passed on January 18, 2025. 

Barbara’s parents brought her from Santa Fe to Los Alamos in March of 1943, where her father, George Hillhouse, was in charge of the meat department of the Manhattan Project Army Commissary. Her mother, Dorothy Hillhouse, became one of the early teachers at Central School.

Barbara graduated from the Los Alamos Public School system in 1952. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education in 1956 and an M.A. in Elementary Psychology in 1957, both from Colorado Read More