Joe F. Gomez

Jose Federico (Joe) Gomez passed away comfortably surrounded by those he loved in his Albuquerque, NM home last Thursday morning on his 82nd birthday, November 1, 2012. He was an Albuquerque entrepreneur, business owner, and philanthropist who's mark on the New Mexico business community will be indelible and enduring. Joe was born in Salem, NM in the lush Hatch Valley, the eldest offspring of Domingo and Eugenia Gomez. As a young boy he would ride his horse after chores along the banks of the Rio Grande from Caballo Reservoir to Radium Springs, and would later ride to, and camp, in the Gila Forest on days he wasn't farming. Domingo, a farmer and carpenter in the post-depression era, provided, along with Eugenia, a warm and loving environment for Joe and the three sisters that Domingo and Joe doted upon. Joe graduated from Las Cruces High School where he competed in track in the mile event, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He married his sweetheart Cecilia (Ceci) Montoya, daughter of Joe and Carmen Montoya of Mesquite, NM on August 30, 1952 in the San Jose Catholic Church in La Mesa, NM where they repeated their vows fifty years later before family and friends. Joe and Ceci enjoyed dining, dancing and "los luches" with friends in El Paso and Ciudad Ju