Obituaries

FAYE LOUISE PORTER July 24, 1930 – June 18, 2024

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, Faye Louise Porter, passed away peacefully at the age of 93 with family at her side.

Born July 24, 1930 in Roswell, NM, Faye was preceded in death by her first husband, William R. “Randy” Cooper Sr. and son Mark Elliot Cooper.

She is survived by daughter, Karen Leigh Hawkins and husband, Ward of Los Alamos, NM, and William R. “Randy” Cooper Jr. and wife, Leslie of Tigard, Oregon.

Faye married Kenneth R. Porter in Albuquerque in 1984. Opportunities took them to San Diego, Walnut Creek, and finally Tri Cities, Wa. where they retired Read More

JESSE LEE LAESER June 26, 2024

Jesse Lee Laeser left this world on June 26, 2024, surrounded by family. He was 41 years old.

Jesse spent his life in New Mexico and grew up in Los Alamos. He played soccer, participated in Boy Scouts and spent numerous hours outside. Jesse was a tinkerer. He could build without plans, construct with many materials, and take anything apart and put it back together in better form. When he was a teen, he repaired the family washing machine and it lasted another 25 years. He was a solid craftsman and eager to help his friends and family with any type of project.

Jesse was a giving Read More

LUIS E. VALDEZ Feb. 24,1937 – June 6, 2024

Luis E. Valdez, 87, passed away on June 6, 2024, with his loving family at his bedside. Luis was born on February 24,1937, in Alison, Colorado, to Solomon and Benita Valdez.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Edna; parents, Solomon and Benita Valdez; sisters, Phyllis Gomez and Virginia Gallegos; brothers, Solomon Jr., Don, and Bernardo Valdez; granddaughter, Shayna Valdez; and son-in-law, James Smith.

Luis grew up and lived in Colorado until 1955 when he moved to Española, New Mexico, where he met the love of his life, Edna June Martinez, and was married Read More

ROLAND HAGAN Feb. 21, 1938 – June 15, 2024

Born February 21, 1938, to Ralph and Ethelda Hagan in Boston, Massachusetts, Roland grew up on a succession of military bases ranging from Marine Corps Base Quantico to Pearl Harbor.

Immediately upon finishing high school, Roland followed his older brother into the Air Force and was assigned to the United States Air Force 4926th Test Squadron. His assignments ranged from supporting the observation of French nuclear tests in the Algerian Desert to Operation Hardtack I in the Pacific in 1958. During this time, he was able to witness multiple atmospheric Read More

MARTIN MACROBERTS June 12, 2024

Martin MacRoberts passed away on June 12, 2024, peacefully at home with his wife Frances and son Patrick at his side. He was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana and graduated high school from New Mexico Military Institute in 1958.

After punishing himself earning a BA in mathematics at William and Mary in 3.5 years and being honored by selection to Phi Beta Kappa, he decided that education was not for him. A summer job with United Gas Corporation where an 8 hour day with weekends off was the norm (and they paid) convinced him that working was better than school.

He Read More

MONTY JOHN BILBERRY Oct. 10, 1950 – June 25, 2024

Monty John Bilberry, a beloved resident of White Rock, NM, passed away on June 25, 2024, at the age of 73. Born on October 10, 1950, in Portales, NM, Monty was known for his kind and loving nature, deeply cherished by all who knew him.

Monty graduated from Santa Fe High School and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University. His career was diverse, including time as a rancher with a small cow and calf operation, and roles in real estate, construction, the oil and gas industry, and the TV and film industry. These varied paths showcased Read More

JAMES M. PEEK Sept. 5, 1933 – June 19, 2024

James M. Peek was born in Unionville, MO, the only child of Everett Riley Peek and Ramah McNabb Peek. He attended public schools in Missouri and Illinois and earned a BSED from Western Illinois College in McComb Illinois. He got his MS and PhD in Chemistry at the Ohio State University.

He worked at the Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1962 through 2007. He authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals and one book titled Dissociation in Heavy Particle Collisions.

Peek was a member of the American Read More

MARGERY WILL WOLFE July 18, 1930 – April 5, 2024

Margery Will Wolfe was born to Don and Pauline Will on July 18, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio, the second of three girls. She died at the age of 93 in Los Alamos, NM, on April 5, 2024. Marge lived a life of love, laughter, service, and adventure, making lifelong friends in every community in which she lived.

Marge met the love of her life, Pete Wolfe, while taking dance classes as a young teenager. They dated throughout high school and college and were married in 1951. The following year, Marge graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree Read More

PHILIP WALTER PELLETTE June 8, 2024 

Philip Walter Pellette, 65, of Midway, Utah, passed away on June 8, 2024, while hiking in Yosemite National Park. Though he was taken far too soon, we take solace that he lived a deeply loving and passionate life and died surrounded by the natural beauty he loved.

Philip was born in Amityville, New York to Philip and Margot Pellette, and grew up in Las Cruces and Los Alamos, NM, graduating from Los Alamos High School in 1977. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1981, graduating Read More

BARBARA ANN (VAN MARTER) HANNEMANN March 25, 1932 – June 6, 2024

Mom was an artist and now, after a lifetime painting a wide variety of subjects, at age 92 she has left us to paint the Cosmos. Happily, she left us an extensive body of work to enjoy for years and generations to come.

Mom’s art journey started at an early age – in her teen years she studied with artist Fritz Troutman at the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery.

Mom married Ralph B Hannemann in 1950 and in 1952 they moved to Los Alamos NM where Dad had a position at what was then Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. In the years 1952 – 1977 she became Read More