Faustina "Tina" C. Soto

Our dear Mother, Faustina "Tina" C. Soto passed away peacefully after a long illness and into the loving arms of the Lord on March 15, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alcides V. Soto of 62 years of marriage. She is survived by her four adult children, Alcides "Mickey" (Virginia) Soto, Dennis (Jorgie) Soto, Tina (Mark) Newlander, Lawrence Soto, and extended family.

On September 26, 1923, Tina was born and raised in Mora, New Mexico. She was the youngest of 9 brothers and sisters and because she was the last child born, she attended school at an early age in a one-room building with her sister, Martha. Her family lived off the land on a 640-acre ranch. She said that everybody had a chore, even the cat and the dog.

Tina graduated from El Rito boarding school, which she spoke about with pride because of her ambition to be a graduate student and bi-lingual. She was proficient in speaking and writing in both Spanish and English.

After World War II, our beautiful and vivacious mother was working for the VA Hospital in Santa Fe as a clerical worker. In the meantime, our handsome Puerto Rican father with blue/green eyes had been discharged from that exact same hospital due to an injury incurred during a military exercise. Their happenstance was meant to be as cupid brought these two together.

Tina worked as a civil servant for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Kirtland AFB for many years. She took pride in her work and received many certificates for outstanding service.

Mother was very generous and opened her house to anyone who needed a place to stay, including relatives, friends, and one hitchhiker with a little dog. Although our mother said she didn't like to cook, she was known for making awesome red chili, arroz con pollo, and meat empanadas that everyone raved about. She always took pride in her clean and tidy home.

Our mother remained close to her siblings and extended family throughout the years. She also had many friends in her life that were older and younger than herself through work, neighbors and through her hobbies of sewing, jewelry making and exercise.

She had a great sense of humor that we will surely miss. We were truly blessed that she lived to be 100 years old. She will forever be in our hearts and our memories.

Our mother was blessed with five grandchildren (Aza, Vanessa, Jimi, Erik and Ryan), two great-grandchildren (Monet and Andreas), and two great-great-grandchildren (Avianna and Evangeline).

Thank you to Carlos Figueroa owner of Muros de Salvacion Group Home and thank you to all his caregivers who took special care of our mother. A big thank you to High Desert Hospice, especially to Rachel Brackbill, RN Case Manager, for her diligence and kindness in taking care of our lovely mother.