Arthur V. Gallegos

Arthur Vidal Gallegos, 81, was born to Arthur and Laura (Montoya) Gallegos in Las Vegas, NM, Tuesday, November 2, 1937. Arthur passed away unexpectedly on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 10:57 pm at Lovelace Heart Hospital in Albuquerque NM.

Arthur was the oldest brother to Joan (Archuleta), Donald, Loretta (Sturam), Leo, Bobby, and Phillip Gallegos. Arthur was a devoted and loving husband to Mary Lou Salas. They were married on April 8, 1961 and were together for 58 years. He was a beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Arthur and Mary Lou had four children, Dianne (Sena), Paul, Anthony, and Matthew. The family continued to grow with ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren (with two more on the way). In a family of huggers, Arthur was the best. His moment of attention would bring a laugh out of everyone he hugged. Full of faith and love, Arthur devoted his life to his family and church. He was accepting of all the family and loved every one of his brothers and sisters. Every family member was a blessing and he was willing to help out anyone at any time or any place.  He graduated from Robertson High School in 1956 and got his Civil Engineering Degree from New Mexico State University in 1963.

A hard-working man his entire life, Arthur worked for the State Highway Department for 25 years. After retiring in 1988, he went into business for himself owning a remodeling business in Las Vegas from 1986 to 1995. In 1995, he and his wife moved to Albuquerque where they owned a successful pressure washing business from 1996 to 2011. Arthur then happily retired, devoting his life to his wife, growing family, home, and church. Later in life Arthur and Mary Lou became world travelers visiting several famous churches with Inspirational Tours. Some of the places visited were Spain, Jerusalem, and Rome.

A visitation will be held Friday, April 26, 2019 at 9:30 a.m., a Rosary will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1502 Sara Rd SE in Rio Rancho. The burial will be later that afternoon at San Antonio cemetery in Las Vegas, NM.

We want to thank all the hard-working doctors and nurses at Altavista and Lovelace Heart Hospitals for doing everything they could to keep him with us for as long as possible.  Your wife, Mary Lou, your children, and your family love you very much and know that you are with us always.