Flavio A. Valencia

Flavio A. Valencia of El Rancho, NM, passed away suddenly on March 8, 2018. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ramon and Estella Valencia, infant siblings Ramoncito and Clorlinda; siblings Philly Joe Valencia, Ida Ortiz (Thomas Ortiz), Harold Valencia and Fernando Valencia; sister-in-laws Viola (Ben Valdez) and Nestora Garduno.

He is survived by his wife, Pita Valencia, and his siblings Yolanda Apodaca (Reuben), Dolores Tanno; sister-in-law Diana Aguilar (Rod); brother-in-law Gilbert Garduno; children Karen Thompson (Dennis), John Valencia (Mona), Kathleen Maes (Derek), Andrew Valencia (Jennifer); grandchildren Jason Trujillo (Jennifer), Scott Trujillo (Dawn), Austin Thompson, Matthew J. Valencia (Evelena), Stephanie Lucero (Edward), Sarah Aguilar (Gorge), Shana Maes (Michael Marston), Everett Valencia, Camille Valencia, Corinne Valencia; great grandchildren, Jude Trujillo, Violet Trujillo, Edward J. Lucero, Hanna Valencia, Aleksandr Lucero and many friends and relatives.

Flavio grew up in El Rancho and spent summers working on his grandparents’ homestead in Los Alamos. During his high school summers he worked at Bandelier National Monument and after graduating from Pojoaque he worked for the Atomic Energy Commission.  He was drafted into the Army in 1952, during the Korean War, and honorably discharged in 1954.  He then returned to work at the AEC and earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Math from the University of New Mexico in 1959. Flavio taught chemistry at Pojoaque High School before working at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. He earned a distinguished performance award in 1981 for his work in the field of high temperature chemistry and retired in 1988. Flavio enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, farming, and gardening.

Services will be on Monday, March 12, 2018 at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pojoaque with a rosary at 9:00am, followed by a funeral mass at 10:00. Burial will take place at the National Cemetery at a later date.

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