Stephen Ray Arias

On Sunday, August 28, 2022, Stephen Ray Arias, a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend passed away at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

He was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on December 30, 1944, to Ramon and Irene Arias.

Stephen is preceded in death by his loving parents, Ramon and Irene Arias. He is survived by his wife Victoria, his children Stephen Ray (Carla) Arias II, Kimberly Arias (Miguel) Gabaldon, Santiago (Amilya) Sandoval, stepchildren Paul Robert Oliver and Michelle Rodriguez, 16 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, his sisters Adrienne (Peter Heitsburg) Arias, Alexis (Max) Byfuglin, and a large extended family.

Stephen devoted his life in the service of others. He retired in 2014 as Chief Clerk of the New Mexico House of Representatives after 45 years of service to the institution, with 32 years as Chief Clerk. Stephen’s tenure as the elected Chief Clerk is remembered as the longest in the history of New Mexico, and at the time of his retirement, he was the third longest serving Chief Clerk in the nation. That institution honored Stephen and his numerous accomplishments in 2018 by the unanimously passed House Memorial 105 of the 53rd Legislature. The Memorial highlighted his indispensable contributions to the New Mexico House of Representatives and his State.

Stephen served his community both professionally and through philanthropic endeavors. He dutifully carried out leadership roles in the American Society of Legislative Clerk and Secretaries and National Conference of State Legislatures. His efforts led to the formation of the Asociacion Nacional de Oficales Mayores de los Congress de los Estados y Distrito Federal, the first collaborative association between U.S. and Mexico border state legislatures.

Stephen loved traveling and made it his priority to see and experience new cultures and the local cuisine. While he loved exploring the world, Stephen was most at peace in the early morning hours sitting on his porch while reading the paper or his latest book and enjoying his cup of coffee. Stephen was a fantastic chef and developed a love for cooking during his many years operating the family restaurant, El Nido in Tesuque, New Mexico. His red chile was second-to-none.

Stephen was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and playing golf. He enjoyed his time in nature and made it a priority in his life through yearly hunting trips and weekly tee times. Stephen’s heart remained with his alma mater, St. Michael’s High School, where he was a member of the famed “Mighty Midgets” basketball team. His love for sports continued after high school when he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan.  Stephen cherished his memories of attending Dallas Cowboys games. While Stephen loved his Cowboys, nothing was more exciting for him than sitting on the sidelines of his children and grandchildren sporting events no matter the distance he had to travel.

Stephen will be remembered as the family’s mentor, advisor, and caretaker all rolled into one. Stephen’s family was always his first priority, his love and support never wavered. He was the first one called when you needed advice and he always offered a helping hand. You could trust that his guidance was based in love.

A New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda Honor Service will be held on Wednesday, September 7, at the New Mexico State Capitol during which time Stephen with Lie in State from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. followed by A Celebration of Stephen's life beginning at 10:00 a.m.. A rosary will be held on Thursday, September 8, at 10:00 a.m. with a Mass of Christian burial at 11:00 a.m. at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The burial will follow immediately after the funeral service at Rosario Cemetery.

For those who are not able to attend the funeral service in person, you may join the family in celebrating Steve’s life via the following link: https://youtu.be/43Z7EMwDWYY

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to St. Michael’s High School, Alumni Association Financial Assistance Program (100 Siringo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505), the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Fe (49 Mt. Carmel Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505), or St. Elizabeth Shelters (www.steshelter.org) in Stephen R. Arias’ memory.

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