In Memoriam

Our community has recently lost cherished members. SFCC extends sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of those who have passed. We remember and will miss:

Chris Abeyta. Former Governing Board member, GED instructor, college advisor and Student Leadership Coordinator passed on March 8. The leader of the band Lumbre del Sol often brought his music on campus for commencement and special events. Read more in these stories: 3/09/22, Santa Fe New Mexican, “Musician, teacher remembered as pillar of community.” 3/08/22, Santa Fe Reporter, “Rest in Power: Chris Abeyta.”

Adrian Bustamante. Former dean at SFCC passed on January 17. He was the uncle of former SFCC Dean Camilla Bustamante, Ph.D. Read more about Adrian Bustamante’s life in this Jan. 31 story from the Santa Fe New Mexican, “Former director of Cultural Affairs Department loved teaching”. Also, see his obituary here.

Javier Gonzales. The former Santa Fe mayor, an advocate and friend of the college, passed away in February. While mayor, he gave the keynote address at SFCC’s fall 2017 commencement.  Mayor Gonzales strongly supported SFCC initiatives regarding sustainability, social justice and expanding educational opportunities. Read more about his life in the Santa Fe New Mexican story, “Javier Gonzales, former mayor of Santa Fe dies” or his obituary.

Sevastian E. Gurulé.  An employee with the Santa Fe Small Business Center based at SFCC passed on January 31. His colleagues shared, “The unexpected passing of Sevastian Gurulé is a tremendous loss to the Small Business Center Network. Sevastian quickly became a valuable member of the team managing our entire database system. His thoughtfulness, humor, and constant upbeat positive attitude will be truly missed.” Among his family survivor’s is Daniela Gurulé, SFCC Student Admissions counselor. Read more here.

Thomas (Tómas) A. Romero. An advocate for cultural preservation in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Taos counties and a supporter of education, Tom passed away last month. He dedicated his talents to SFCC as the Associate Vice President of Finance and Administration and as the Associate Vice President of Organizational & Community Development. Read more in the Santa Fe New Mexican story, “Preservation advocate known as ‘heart that walked on legs’” or his obituary.