Edwin Esquibel, Sr.

Alfred Edwin Esquibel, better known as Deacon Edwin, passed away on May 4, 2022, at 10:46 AM, at the age of 75 from bladder cancer. Edwin was born and raised in Belen along with his 7 brothers and parents. He attended St. Mary's school and later graduated from Belen High School in 1965. In 1963 he met his future bride and the love of his life, Kathy Sisneros. They married at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Albuquerque on December 9, 1967, and immediately moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where Edwin served in the United States Air National Guard while working for General Dynamics. During their time in Texas, they welcomed their first two children Celeste and Edwin Jr. In 1974, they moved to Veguita, NM and it has remained their home for the past 48 years. They opened the Veguita Trading Post in 1976 and welcomed 2 more children, Ellena & Miguel.

In 1993, after a rigorous training program of many years, Edwin was ordained a Deacon for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. In his lifetime, Edwin wore many hats and held many positions, but his greatest love was to serve his family, friends, and community.

He, along with his family, became very active in the Veguita community. With the church, he guided many youth groups, road clean ups, confirmation classes, catechism classes, while supporting every community event with fundraisers, donations and always volunteering his personal time. He was honored to preside over hundreds of Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Quinceaneras, Weddings and Funerals.

Edwin worked most of his adult life in the correctional prison system running many departments, to include the Department of Tourism and many other special projects. At the age of 42, in the mist of raising teenagers, working, and studying for the Deaconate, he went back to UNM and received his associates degree in Computer Science. He was also the Valencia County Jail Administrator and later monitored prison system operations across the Southwest long after he retired. Edwin was a constant gentle spirit that was warm, loving, and always had others best interest at heart. He was a rule keeper and never wanted anything for himself. He was all about his children and his family, but he also bent over backwards daily to support others, even strangers.

He was the type of person that could be in the middle of a HUGE project and would stop everything at the drop of a dime. If one of his children needed help, even if they were needing to roof a house or install a door, he would literally drop everything he was doing to run over and help them. He was a phenomenal grandpa and great grandpa. Edwin taught the kids everything from gardening, painting, and working with clay, to every detail on various construction projects. Edwin knew how to do everything and was the ultimate handy man. He was so proud of the home he built. He did plumbing, electrical work, construction, architectural drawings, and just about anything else that you could imagine, and he did it all with precise detail. He was a kind, sweet, gentle soul and you could always catch him piddling in his yard, his sanctuary, his kingdom. He had a green thumb and loved to garden. He was always a jokester and loved to make people laugh, but you would never find him in a crowd of people because he was quiet, reserved, somewhat shy, but overall, extremely humble. There are three words that best define Edwin and they are hardworking, loyal, and loving.

Edwin was preceded in death by his parents Ezekiel and Emma Esquibel; his brothers, Ezekiel Esquibel Jr., Donald Esquibel and Johnny Esquibel. Additionally, by his mother-in-law, Antonia Sisneros & brothers-in-law, William Shover & Ted Beaupre.

Edwin is survived by his wife, Kathy; his children, Celeste & Aubrey Tucker, Edwin Esquibel & Melissa Luna, Ellena & Adrian Tapia, Miguel & Miriam Esquibel; his grandchildren, Danielle & Josh Kim, Jeremiah & Ashley Esquibel, Lucas Esquibel, Mateo Tapia, Mia Tapia, Maximus Esquibel, Marian Esquibel; his great grandchildren, Erin Miller, Eliza Kim, Hunter Esquibel, Anastasia Esquibel, & Tomas Esquibel. Additionally, he had 2 very special bonus granddaughters, McKenzie Luna, & MariLisa Ramirez; his brothers, Joe & Peggy Esquibel, Frank & Rita Esquibel, Tommy Esquibel, John & Ruby Esquibel and sister-in-law, Alice Esquibel. He is also survived by his father-in-law, Sylvestre Sisneros; his sisters-in-law, who he called his "sisters": Marge & Jim Lewis, Betty Shover, Louella Sisneros & John Wasinger.

A public viewing will be held Friday, May 13, 2022 from 2:00 PM-6:00 PM at the Esquibel home in Veguita. 1249 Hwy 304, Veguita, NM 87062. Viewing will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 9:00 AM at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Tome, followed by the funeral Mass at 10:00 AM. The family will host a reception following the burial, which will take place in Abo.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edwin Esquibel, Sr., please visit our floral store.