Manuel Salazar

At 2:52 a.m. on September 14, 2024, Uncle Manny joined his girl, Gloria.

Uncle Manny leaves behind "Junior," Pablo Velarde and Lynn, their children, Haile, Paul Jr., and Thomas; his brother-in-law Robert and his children Cassandra, Andrew and David; and his niece, Victoria and Lawrence. Manuel also leaves his sister-in-law, Judy and husband, Abenicio; sisters-in-law, Alicia and husband, Roland, Annie and Emily. Uncle Manny also leaves behind 11 other nieces and nephews and their families, which include 32 great nieces and nephews.

Uncle Manny fiercely loved his girl, Auntie Non and missed her enormously for this last year while he faithfully took care of her turtles.

Uncle Manny was born February 21, 1952, and spent some of his childhood in Española, NM. He attended Valley High School and graduated in 1970. Manuel joined the Army and was stationed for a time in Germany. He was honorably discharged after two years of active duty; he then joined the New Mexico National Guard; and was a respected member of his team for twenty-seven years. Manuel earned the Distinguished Service Medal and Outstanding Service Medal in 1980.

Among Manny's many passions was baseball; more specifically the LA Dodgers. He would wait very patiently for hours to ask someone for their autograph. For many years, Gloria would give him season tickets to go see the Albuquerque Isotopes because he enjoyed the game immensely.

One of Manuel's talents was the command of electricity. He earned many certificates in Electrical areas and was a Journeyman Electrician for the University of New Mexico for many years.

We wish to thank all the medical personal who made his last few weeks of fighting as comfortable as possible, but we especially want to express our gratitude to Robynn, Harriet and Chase with Assurance In-Home Care as they cared for him at his home during his last days. All of you were so gentle and compassionate with your care of Manny and we appreciate you so much!

A Mass for Manuel will be held on Friday, September 27, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church, 1837 Alvarado Dr NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110. Manny will be laid to rest on Saturday, October 5, 2024, with a Rosary at 10:00 a.m., and a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at the Santo Nino Catholic Church and Cemetery in La Jara, New Mexico.