Catalina "Kathy" Chavez Baca, born on March 7, 1944 in La Palma, New Mexico to Ambrocio Chavez and Ceria Trujillo Chavez passed away on Thursday, January 14, 2021.

Catalina grew up in Vaughn, New Mexico where she went to school and graduated from Vaughn High School in 1963. She married the love of her life, Venancio Baca on November 3, 1962. They were married for 46 years and had four daughters.

After graduating high school, she worked part-time with the Gazolas' and as a stay-at-home mom as well as taking care of her mother, Ceria for 20 years. She then went to work at Allsup's Convenience Store in Vaughn where she managed the store for 11 years. After her time there, she worked one year at the Vaughn Senior Citizens Center as a cook. The job she treasured and enjoyed the most was when she worked with the Vaughn Municipal Schools and was employed for 11 years. Cooking for her kids and her community was her "greatest pleasure" as she would say. Those were the years she would never forget.

After she retired, she moved to Albuquerque to be closer to family and enjoyed every minute she could with all of her grandchildren. Some of her greatest enjoyments in life were sewing cheerleader uniforms for the high school girls, making the many birthday, wedding and anniversary cakes she baked for her relatives and friends, reading many novels, crocheting, embroidering, and playing cards with her granddaughters. She was an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Vaughn for 57 years and later became a member of St. Jude's Thaddeus Catholic Church while living in Albuquerque.

Catalina is survived by her three daughters, Ramona (Lazaro) Cardenas of Taos, NM, Veronica (Richard) Luna and Pamela Roybal (Jesse) all of Albuquerque, NM; two grandsons; Derrick Castillo and Laz (Melissa) Cardenas Jr.; seven granddaughters, Larissa Cardenas, Brianna Castillo (Anthony), Meghan Gutierrez (Jarred), Tatyana Gutierrez (Matthew), Mia Luna, Anjelica Gutierrez and Mykayla Roybal; two greatgrandsons,  Christian Castillo and Anthony Perea Jr.; two great-granddaughters,  Jaylynn Castillo and Cassandra Gurule; and special granddaughter, Crystal Sandoval. She is also survived by her three brothers, Margarito Chavez of Vaughn, NM, Rafael (Lela) Chavez of Grants/Albuquerque, NM and Gilbert Rodarte of Albuquerque, NM and one sister, Ida (Domingo) Villanueva of Portales, NM; one brother-in-law, Benjamin (Bertha) Baca of Vaughn, NM; two sisters-in-law, Susie Baca of Vaughn, NM and Helen (Gifford) Crowe of Tucumcari, NM; aunts, Florinda Encinias and Celina Encinias both of Moriarty, NM and numerous godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

As she left this earth to be in paradise, she is preceded in death by her husband, her lovely and charismatic daughter, Victoria Reyes Baca Castillo; one granddaughter, Petrina Castillo; her parents; two sisters, Eloyda and Jesusita Chavez; grandparents, Teodorita and Manuel Chavez; son-in-law, Ernesto Roybal; in-laws, Fluencio and Monica Baca; brothers-in-law, Mike Baca and Luperto Garcia; sisters-in-law, Martha Garcia and Joann Chavez; nephews, Larry and Jerry Baca, Ralph Chavez Jr. and Ambrosio Chavez.

Serving as pallbearers will be Steven Chavez, Jude Villanueva, Adam Chavez, Derrick Castillo, Laz Cardenas Jr., Edward Baca, Michael Baca, Gerald Baca, Jessie Garcia and Eric Garcia. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be all of his granddaughters, nieces and nephews.

There will be no public services due to COVID restrictions and safeguards. The services can be live streamed through St. Jude Thaddeus YouTube page on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.   https://www.stjudenm.org/

The interment will follow with the burial at Evergreen Cemetery in Vaughn, NM.

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with love."

- Mother Teresa