Charles Saenz (Sainz)

Charlie Saenz passed away on Saturday morning, February 22nd, at his home in La Mesa, NM. Born on July 11th, 1935, in the then-sleepy town of La Mesa, Charlie was the grandson of Pony Express Rider, Hilario S. Saenz Sr., and son of Hilario Jr. (Palalo) and Adelina (Malina) Saenz, being one of 10 siblings.

While working as a butcher at his hometown store, Charlie attended Gadsden High School, where he was an avid sports player, excelling in both baseball and football. As a key member of the football team, he helped lead them to three state championships, with the team going undefeated in 1953, 1954, and 1955, along with a state championship for the high school baseball team on the year he graduated in 1955.

After high school, Charlie proudly enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served from 1955 to 1959 working in Air Traffic Control, trained and specializing in radio electronics, and earning the Medal of Good Conduct for his exemplary service and ethics. Following his military service, Charlie continued his career in support of the military as a civil service electronic technician at Fort Bliss where he would work on the Patriot Missile Program in the latter years of his profession until his retirement in October of 1994.

Upon his retirement, Charlie changed his focus from his profession in electronics to his love and passion for farming. From the Fall of ‘94 he planted, irrigated and harvested with help from his loving friends and family spicy green chile, plump watermelons, juicy tomatoes and savory pecans on his land underneath the pinks, oranges and purple sunset skies cheering on his Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers and Denver Broncos during his available time until his last remaining days on this earth.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Maria (Cuca) Saenz, his three surviving children; Charles, Donna, and Steven, his four grandchildren; Danika, Joshua, Danica, and Lorelai, his four great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Brynlee, Myles, and Olivia, and his surviving sister of Hermanos, Maria S. Savedra.

Services for Charlie Saenz will be held on Friday, March 7th, 2025, at the San Jose Catholic Church in his hometown of La Mesa, NM. Rosary will begin at 11:00 am and mass at 11:30am with his final journey through his La Mesa childhood neighborhood for a burial at the La Mesa Cemetery right after.