Belarmino Valdez

Belarmino Antonio “Sonny” Valdez, 61, died Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico. Visitation will be held at Hood Mortuary Chapel on Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Recitation of the Rosary will be said also on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A Funeral Service will be Monday, October 21, 2013 at 10:00 A.M. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Father Joseph Gallegos C.R. of Sacred Heart Catholic Church will be officiating. Burial will occur at Greenmount Cemetery in Durango. Mr. Valdez was born August 27, 1952 in Durango, Colorado the son of Jose and Criselia (Garcia) Valdez. Known by friends and family as Sonny, he was born in the historic Gable House when it operated as La Plata County's first hospital. He grew up in the area, attended schools and graduated from Durango High School in 1971. Sonny attended one year of college at Fort Lewis and shortly thereafter, worked for Wideman sawmill. He moved to Chandler, Ariz. and worked as a cook at Williams Air Force Base and it was here that he met and married Denise Fletcher. Together they had one daughter, Maria. The marriage ended in divorce in 1977 and Sonny moved back to the Durango area with his daughter. He began working again for the sawmill, this time it was called Jackson sawmill. He also worked for Pizza Hut and the Tamarron Resort. Sonny began a progression of jobs that led him to visit with people on a daily basis, which attributed to his friendly nature. He worked at Wagon Wheel Liquors, Liquor World, Albertsons, Wal-Mart and then finally at Mercy Regional Medical Center. Sonny enjoyed rooting for his favorite team, the Denver Broncos and he was very informed about current events. He was a big reader, a great Trivial Pursuit player and was a history buff. He was the most informed on the history of Napoleon Bonaparte. Sonny liked music. He played the drums and thoroughly enjoyed The Beatles. "We will always fondly remember his jokes and his sayings," recall his family. He is survived by Maria Doucette (daughter) of Durango, Colo., Cypress Valdez (granddaughter) of Farmington, New Mex., Viven Doucette (granddaughter) of Durango, Colo., Harrison Walsworth (grandson) of Durango, Colo., Criselia Labato (mother) of Gilbert, Ariz., Sally Montoya (sister) of Durango, Colo., Frances Aragon (sister) of Murray, Utah, Gloria Martinez (sister) of Farmington, New Mex., Joe Valdez (brother) of Gilbert, Ariz., Rick Valdez (brother) of Aztec, New Mex., and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his father in 1979, two infant brothers and his granddaughter, Sophia Doucette in 2006.