Obituaries

Raymundo O. Padilla (Stork), 75, a resident of Silver City, NM, entered eternal rest on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at Silver City Care Center in Silver City, NM.  Stork was born March 1, 1949 in Lordsburg, NM to Raymundo and Tomasa Padilla.

He was preceded in death by his parents Raymundo and Tomasa Padilla and his canine friend, Sparky.  He is survived by his sisters Angelina Gonzales and Esther Valenzuela of Lordsburg, NM; his nephews, nieces and many great nieces and nephews who loved him very much and dreaded the claw!

Stork went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts with a minor in History from Western New Mexico University (WNMU). During his time at WNMU he was a member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Atzlan a.k.a. MEChA and Outbound. Stork was an avid artist and educator.  He enjoyed creating art with pencil and charcoal.  He had a passion for education, especially history and shared this passion with the youth of Grants, NM and the Cobre School District. He encouraged his students to pursue their dreams.

Lionila Melendrez, 90, a resident of Silver City, NM, entered eternal rest on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at her residence.   She was born on January 17, 1934 to her parents, Teodoro and Alvina (Hinojos) Barela in Central, NM.

Lionila (Leona) was a loving, caring person. She was fiercely loyal to family and devoted to helping others whenever and however she could. Leona's deep faith in God was unwavering and was reflected in the way she lived each day. She had a welcoming spirit and energy that radiated compassion and acceptance towards others. Listening to music, dancing, and spending time with her compadres and close friends were things she loved to do. Leona and her husband Mike's home was the center of many celebrations where they took pride and pleasure in cooking for everyone.  Leona laughed freely and was generous to all.

Daniel Anthony Goss, 84, a resident of Silver City, NM, entered eternal rest on Monday, April 15, 2024 at Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, NM.  He was born on June 1, 1939 to his parents James Earl and Rose (Reimer) Goss Sr in Houston, Texas. 

Dan earned his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in 1963.  He worked as a project engineer for the Naval Ordnance laboratory in Corona, California.  He earned his post graduate degree in engineering from UCLA in 1968 where he met Sally, his wife of 56 years.  Dan moved his family to Ridgecrest, CA where he began a long and distinguished career at China Lake Naval Weapons Center/ Naval Air Weapons Station.  Dan headed the Fuze Division from 1982 until he was selected as the Associate Head of the Ordinance Systems Department in 1987.  In 1990 he was appointed Acting Department Head of the Ordinance Systems Department assuming the Department Head position.  After a 34 year career, Dan retired in 1997 and he and Sally relocated to Silver City, NM.  They enjoyed taking trips in their RV and meet-ups with the "Fuzelliers" and his high school camping group.

Robert Costales Torres, 73, a resident of Silver City, NM entered eternal rest Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Silver City Care Center, in Silver City, NM.  He was born on November 8, 1950 to his parents David Goethals and Elpidia (Costales) Torres in Santa Rita, NM.

He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, listening to music, singing, dancing, cooking, sharing and eating good food.  He loved spending time in his yard and collecting antiques. All these things were made better to him if they were done with his family.

He is survived by his son Joshua Torres (Jessica) of Silver City, NM; his daughter Joslin Potter (Daren) of Silver City, NM; his brother Arnold Torres of Silver City, NM; his sister Gloria Lopez of Silver City, NM; his four grandchildren: Joshua Torrez Jr.(Sherelle), Lauren Potter, Ryleigh Torres, and Dameon Potter; his great-granddaughter, Amora Torrez; his numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Robert Joshua Torres; and his two brothers, David Torres and Eddie Torres.

Kathryn (Kathy) Sue Rankin Madrid joined our Heavenly Father on April 17, 2024 at age 80, in Silver City.  Kathy was born in Henderson, Nevada on February 8, 1944 to Milton Terrell Rankin and Joe Hurley Rankin.

Kathy married the love of her life, Sonny Lopez Madrid on March 27, 1965 in Lordsburg, NM, sharing 59 beautiful years of marriage with him. Kathy dedicated most of her professional life to Gila Regional Medical Center, retiring with 35 years of service in 2015 as a Ward Clerk. Countless lives were touched by her presence and compassion during her time at the hospital. People often approached us to share stories of how her kindness impacted them during their hospital stays. Kathy's mere presence and unwavering commitment to kindness, compassion, and love made a significant difference on everyone who met her. Kathy was an amazing cook and loved to serve her "made with love" Mexican cuisines to her family, friends, and co-workers. She was proud to share many stories of how she worked in her parents' restaurant, The Flying Twins in Fort Sumner, NM, and The Trail Pancake House in Lordsburg, NM.

Karen L. (Kelly) Sabin, 71, of Mimbres passed away at home on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapels.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Karen Lynne (Kelly) Sabin, please visit our floral store.

Leon McDaniel, 86, a longtime resident of Lordsburg passed away Wednesday April 17, 2024 at his home.  Arrangements are pending.

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

From her killer strokes on the tennis and pickleball courts to an unexpected stroke while managing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Dixie Dexter had the last ride of her life to El Paso and passed away on December 30, 2023.  And what an amazing ride it was…

She was born Dixie Lynn Grieve on August 7, 1942, in Los Angeles, California to Ivan and Hattie (Southard) Grieve, little sister to Ronnie.  Growing up in Pasadena she was always surrounded by people and life was filled with family, friends, fun and adventure.  In school, Dixie excelled in academics and loved her extracurricular activities.  Sunday potluck dinners, weekend camping, and summer trips back to her parents' hometown of Iola, Kansas, were the building blocks of her youth.  In high school, she met the man who would become her beloved husband of nearly 63 years, Doug Dexter, and still kept her focus enough to graduate salutatorian from Pasadena High School in 1960.