Obituaries

CHARLES W. NUNNELLEY May 13, 1940 – Jan. 20, 2022

With sadness, the family of beloved husband and father Charles W. Nunnelley announces his passing at the age of 81 on January 20, 2022, peacefully at home in Los Alamos, New Mexico, with his wife and children.

Charlie is survived by his wife Nancy; son Jeff of Rio Rancho; daughter Wendy (Joe Candelora) of New York City; step-granddaughter Brianna Wilkins of Newton, Kansas; and nieces and nephews Ron Zimmerman, Teshia Schweedler, Bobbi Gonzales, Cleo Nelson, Fritz Mellenthin, and Rosetta Scanlon of Colorado and Phyllis Power, Dora Kirkpatrick, Read More

GEORGE L. HAGEDORN Jan. 1, 2022

New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2022, George L. Hagedorn passed away unexpectedly and much too soon, at 77 years of age.

He enjoyed many years as a long-time resident of Los Alamos County, New Mexico, and always treasured memories of his formative years spent in Ohio.

In 1944, George was born in Cincinnati, the oldest child of George W. and Elizabeth Hagedorn. His father was a World War II veteran, having served as a First Lieutenant in New Guinea, while loving his young family from afar.

George was fortunate to have aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Cincinnati area. Throughout Read More

JOAN HOULTON April 18, 1938 – Feb. 2, 2022

Joan Houlton peacefully left this world Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the age of 83, surrounded by her family in Los Alamos.

She was born Edna Joan McClellan April 18, 1938 to Orson and Olive McClellan in Alamosa, Colorado. To all who knew her well, she was known as Joan, spoken as “Jo-An”.

She married Jerome (Jerry) Houlton July 22, 1953, and they shared a life together for 56 years before he preceded her in death in 2009. 

She was also preceded in death by her parents Orson and Olive McClellan, older brother Elmer McClellan, and older sister Wauneta Lacey.

Joan and Jerry Read More

ROBERT (BOB) HILL Feb. 18, 1929 – Jan. 15, 2022

Bob was raised on a small farm outside of rural Hobart, Oklahoma by his farmer grandfather and home economics teacher mother, and possibly this childhood was responsible for Robert’s humble, minimalistic, and independent ethics.

After high school Bob worked in Hobart briefly repairing radios, automobiles, and motorcycles. Soon after his marriage to Marie, despite economic disadvantage, they both decided to make the bold decision to leave town and attend college.

Robert graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, a member of the Tau Beta Read More

DARRYL F. “BUCK” HAYES Dec. 23, 1932 – Nov. 20, 2021

Buck, 88, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on November 20, 2021 after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Buck was born in East Alton Illinois. He was the son of Louis H. Hayes and Evelyn B. Heiderscheid Hayes.

After High School graduation, Buck enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Korean War until he was discharged in 1956. He married Ginger J. Little on September 6, 1952. They had 5 children.

After the war he went to work for Olin Winchester Company in Alton, IL where he served his Machinist Apprenticeship. Read More

NIKOLAJS MEZINS Feb. 11, 1936 – Jan. 24, 2022

Nikolajs Mezins passed away on Monday, January 24, 2022, at the age of 85 from heart failure after battling cancer for 2.5 years.

He is survived by his daughter Joanne Baca, son-in-law Martin Baca, and long-time friend and ex-wife Patricia Elliott with whom he traveled much of the world.

Nick was born in Riga, Latvia on Feb. 11, 1936, and emigrated to the United States in his teenage years. He attended New York City College graduating in 1959 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and in 1970 from the University of Pittsburgh with a master’s degree in Industrial Read More

JUDITH KINGSLEY FITTING April 6, 1930 – Jan. 22, 2022

Born April 6, 1930, in New York City, NY; Died January 22, 2022, in Santa Fe, NM.

Judy Kingsley Fitting left us on a clear Santa Fe Saturday morning, January 22, 2022.

Judy was born April 6, 1930, in New York City to her parents Fred and Minna Gladstone. She married Ted Kingsley, a young real estate builder, on October 26, 1950, with whom she had two daughters: Ellen Kingsley Hirschfeld and Melinda Kingsley Nester, both journalists and illustrators.

Cancer took early the life of Ted in May 1964, and later her cherished and accomplished daughters. Read More

STEVEN MICHAEL NOE Jan. 3, 2022

El Rito, NM — Steven passed away unexpectedly at home on January 3, 2022, at the young age of 64.

He is survived by his wife Cynthia Noe, his daughters, Amanda Smith and Ashley Noe, and his 3 grandchildren, Ella Smith, Andrew Smith, and Gabriel Noe.

Steve was predeceased by his father William Noe and is also survived by his mother, Shirley Noe, and his siblings, Deborah Perra, Mark Noe, Maureen Tice, and Kathleen Grady.

He resided in El Rito. He was a lifelong adventurer living all over the U.S including Massachusetts, Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana.

Steve worked for Read More

DAWN ANNE RUTLEDGE (VINSON) Aug. 8, 1966 – Sept. 27, 2021

Dawn Anne Rutledge (Vinson) passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of Sept. 27, 2021 at home in Los Alamos.

Dawn was born at Sandia Army base in Albuquerque Aug. 8 1966. Dawn and her family moved to White Rock in 1972 where her father went to work for LANL and she attended Los Alamos schools.

Dawn was a graduate from Los Alamos High School Class of 1984. Following high school she then joined the US Army and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. After the Army she returned to New Mexico and went to work at the Albuquerque Rescue Read More