Manuel Villegas

Manuel Villegas passed away in his home of 58 years in Santa Fe on Wednesday, November 1, 2017. He was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico on December 29, 1926. Manuel served in the Army from 1944 until 1946, he joined the Naval Reserves from 1948 until 1951. In 1950/1951, during the Korean War, he was deployed on the USS Redstart, for minesweeping operations. He met his wife Elizabeth Valdez, during Christmas of 1949 in Las Vegas, NM and they were married April 26, 1952. Manuel earned his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from New Mexico Highlands University in 1955. He continued his education at Highlands, and earned his Master of Arts in Special Education in 1958. Manuel worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Santo Domingo Pueblo and Santa Fe Indian School as a teacher from 1955 until 1963. In 1963, he worked for the Santa Fe Public Schools as a Special Education teacher at Acequia Madre Elementary School. In 1968 he became the Director/Principal of the Special Education Department for the Santa Fe Public Schools until 1972. In 1973, Manuel taught at Salazar Elementary School as a 5th grade teacher until his retirement in 1985. Manuel was proceeded in death by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth, his infant daughter Diana Celeste Villegas, his parents David and Celestina Villegas, his sisters, Jane Oakey and Margaret Duran, and his brother David Jr. He is survived by his son, Dominic Villegas, daughters, Bernadine Baca (Raphael Drhett); Catherine Montoya of Westminster, CO; Loretta Villegas of Mesa, AZ; grandchildren, Gerald Baca (Lindsay), Celeste Baca, Kathleen Gonzales (Anthony), Teo Montoya II (Ivy), Emilio Montoya and Paul E. Villegas; his great grandchildren, Laila and Tristan Gonzales, and Daisha, Savannah and Anthony Baca, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. A visitation will be held at Rosario Chapel on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Rosary at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday November 10 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church. Burial will follow at 2:15 p.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. The family wishes to express our sincere appreciation to Ambercare Hospice for their care, kindness and support to our father.
Manuel was a very talented and gifted man. He taught himself to play the piano and the guitar and will be remembered fondly for all the beautiful songs he created plus all the poems he wrote.