Gustavo Morales

Gustavo Morales

February 12, 1935 Redford, TX - January 14, 2019, Las Cruces, NM

Gustavo graduated Presidio High School in 1952, was Army Airborne through 1956, graduated from NMSU in Agricultural Engineering in 1961, he was a life member of the NMSU Alumni Association, and was also a life member of the American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers. He was a civil servant who worked for Farmers Home Administration, and he farmed near Estancia NM. Through his engineering and administrative work many communities in Arizona and New Mexico gained roads, sewer, water, and other infrastructure. Gustavo was frequently commended for his work.

Gustavo Morales had a brown eye and a green eye. Even when he lost the use of his brown eye, he saw the visible and invisible world with the clarity few people have. He continued his every-day life, adapting to life and continuing his gardening, carpentry, work on the ‘57 Chevy, loving his wife of 63 years Frances, his kids (Alfonso, Adolfo, Alma) and their spouses (Manuela, Lana, Aric) and his grandkids (Cruz, Mattira, Mitchell, Kailey, Marcus, Olivia, Natalie, Nicole, Carl), and being the popular man he was his entire life, a life of simply doing his best, supporting others, enjoying and participating in local events like parades and festivals, and most important exemplifying gospel love. 

He also saw what people did not see, he saw the consequences of poor political decisions, he saw the consequences of poor human decisions. And he wrote letters to politicians, he did what he could to make a difference in his home, in his community, and for this country. Why? How could he be so loving? Because he was a committed Christian and fully human, who in the face of disrespect and indignities he never failed to persevere, to do what he could do to be himself, enjoy his life, and be present to us all.

His integrity and love echo the love of God he accepted and practiced, and he lives in each of us. Services will be at Saint Ann’s Catholic Church, 400 S. Ruby St. Deming NM. A rosary will be January 19, at 9:30 am, a eulogy to follow, and Mass at 10:30am. Father Manuel Ibarra, pastor will officiate. Military honors will be accorded. Cremation will follow at Baca’s Mimbres Crematory.

Pallbearers will be Teofilo Carrasco; grandsons: Cruz Morales, Mitchell Morales, Marcus Warner; godsons: Jamie Arrieta, Omar Morales, Freddy Salinas.

Honorary pallbearers will be Belisario Alvarez, Nic and Javier Arrieta, Hector Morales, Julio Hartnett, Fred Nuñez, Ernesto CdeBaca, Onofre Becerra and Crisostomo Romero.

In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to the American Heart Association in honor of his life. 

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