Obituaries

PATTY LOU HARPER March 21, 1930 – Nov. 3, 2022

Patty Lou Harper passed away peacefully Nov. 3, 2022 at the age of 92 in Albuquerque, N.M.

She was born March 21, 1930, in Hebron, Nebraska to Fred and Mabel Lugenbeel.

Patty grew up in Corvallis, Oregon after her family relocated there when she was a young child. As a teenager, she worked in the kitchen at her parents’ restaurant and bar. After graduating from Corvallis High School, she enrolled at Oregon State University, where she met her future husband Paul Harper.

Patty and Paul were married Dec. 17, 1948. After graduating from Oregon State, Paul accepted Read More

ELIZABETH ALICE (WILES) KATZ Nov. 14, 1939 – Nov. 6, 2022

Elizabeth Alice (Wiles) Katz – alternatively known as Betty, Beth, Betsy, or GG – passed away Nov. 6, 2022 at her home surrounded by family and her devoted caregiver Ingrid Baez.

She was born November 14, 1939 in Watertown, MA.

On Betty’s desk a plaque declares, “I am silently correcting your grammar” – so please read on knowing she would aggressively redline everything below (and probably is at this very moment).

Betty worked from an early age, including a teenage stint operating an elevator at a department store in Read More

ROY WHITE JR. Sept. 28, 1936 – Nov. 2, 2022

Roy White Jr. was born in Houston, Texas Sept. 28, 1936 to Roy and Evelyn White.

He was an only child. His family moved to Chama, New Mexico in 1946 because of his father’s failing health. Roy went to school in Chama as his family was building a summer home on the Brazos River. 

During this time, Roy had a lot of new adventures. He rode in the Chama Rodeo and had the privilege of being bucked off by a calf. He was always proud of that! He also rode the Cumbres-Toltec railroad to Osier one winter and skied back to Chama. While living in Chama, Roy rode his horse 8 miles each Read More

KENNETH BRYANT HOLMES May 15, 1958 – Oct. 27, 2022

Kenneth Bryant Holmes of Los Alamos, New Mexico, age 64, passed away Oct. 27 in Fremont, California with his family at his side.

He was born May 15, 1958 in Weymouth, Massachusetts to Richard and Gertrude Holmes and grew up in Hanson, Massachusetts. He graduated with a degree in business from Bryant College in 1980 and then served with the United States Peace Corps in the Solomon Islands.

He was a business advisor and teacher in the Solomon Islands, where his daughter, Roycleeen Loqa Holmes was born in 1983. He returned to New England and earned a degree Read More

MICHAEL ASLAM Aug. 6, 2002 – Oct. 29, 2022

Saturday October 29, 2022, Mikey Aslam, loving son, brother, and friend passed away at the age of 20.

Mikey was born in Los Alamos, August 6, 2002, to parents Tariq and Kimberly Aslam. He spent most of his life growing up in New Mexico.

In 2009 Mikey and his family moved to South Bend, IN for a year, where Mikey got the opportunity to be close to relatives, fish in a backyard lake and ice skate during the winter. In the fall of 2014, he moved to Santa Barbara, CA for a semester where he would spend a bit of everyday at the beach.

Mikey graduated from Los Alamos High School Read More

ESTHER (LEFTY) VINCZE SMITH Dec. 23, 1931 – Nov. 1, 2022

Esther (Lefty) Vincze Smith of Los Alamos passed away peacefully at home, Nov. 1, 2022 at age 90.

Esther was the youngest of seven siblings to immigrant Hungarian parents Louis and Julia Vincze in Zelienople, PA. It was there she met her future husband Jack Smith and were married in 1954.

In 1967 they moved the family to Los Alamos, NM where Jack worked for LASL (LANL) as a machinist. They eventually moved to White Rock where Esther continued her loving care to family as housewife and mother of five, where she also worked at Gibsons and Foodway. Read More

CAROLYN LEE ANDERSON June 17, 1942 – Oct. 20, 2022

Carolyn Lee Anderson of Los Alamos died at UNM Hospital with family by her side.

She was born June 17, 1942 in Wichita, Kansas. She was the oldest of 6 of an “Army brat” family traveling all over and finally settling in El Paso, Texas.

She was highly involved in Drama at both the high school and college levels in El Paso, TX, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, NM.

She was a strong and kind mother showing these traits to her two daughters Margret and Laura Fraser who will miss her greatly. Read More

SARAH GRACE KELLY Feb. 18, 1938 – Oct. 9, 2022

Sarah Grace Kelly was born Feb. 18, 1938, in Jackson, MS to William and Hetty Combs. She grew up in the Mississippi Delta with her brother Billy Combs and sister Mary Kersey. 

Sarah Grace graduated from Ole Miss with a BA in Music, and continued at Ole Miss earning an MA in Music. She met her husband Bob Kelly at Ole Miss and they married in 1962.

Sarah Grace and Bob had three children: Katelyn, Frank, and Tara. As a family, they enjoyed traveling the US and Europe. Sarah Grace was known for enjoying many naps during these trips.

Sarah Grace was also an accomplished Read More

EUGENE E. ‘JIM’ OLSEN Aug. 28, 2022

Jim Olsen’s ninety-five years were remarkable – active, involved, and punctuated with wonderful friendships. He was kind, respectful, honest, quick with a smile, had a great sense of humor, he was always willing to help others and loved sharing a good story.

Born and raised in Frankfort, Michigan, he was happiest outdoors and reveled in the changes of the seasons and for the new opportunities each change brought – skiing, hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, and sitting by the fire with friends and family.

Living in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project for Read More

RHONDA NELL WILDER EKDAHL 1941 – Oct. 15, 2022

Rhonda Nell Wilder Ekdahl, 80, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away October 15, 2022 at Christus St. Vincent Hospital with her family by her side.

She was born in 1941 to the late Nola and Milom Wilder in Luther, Tennessee. She graduated from Oliver Springs High School in 1959.

Rhonda married Carl August Ekdahl, Jr. in 1959. They lived in Southern California and Upstate New York before moving to New Mexico in 1975. They made Santa Fe their home for the last 36 years. She met Carl while working as a Car Hop at the Snow White Drive-In in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and later Read More