Maxine Koester

On Monday, February 24, 2020, Maxine Koester, loving daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 76 after a one-year battle with small cell lung cancer.

Maxine was born on August 14, 1943, in Las Vegas, New Mexico to Louis and Rita Ulibarri.  She received her master’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands.  After almost twenty years of teaching business at both Manzano and Del Norte high school Maxine changed professions and went to work for Sandia National Laboratories.

Maxine was passionate about many things including golf, painting and music.  She loved working in her yard, dancing with her granddaughters, introducing all her grandchildren to Broadway plays in New York City and lobster dinners in Los Angeles.  Maxine joined the nine-hole league at Ladera golf course and became a very active member.  She was also very active in the Paradise Hills nine-hole golf association.

Maxine was preceded in death by her father, Louis Ulibarri and is survived by her mother, Rita Ulibarri; wife, Betty Fleming; daughter, Melissa Foote (Mike); son, Matt Koester (Terri); grandchildren, Brittany and Dave Foote, Matthew and Sydney Koester; brothers, Lou and Steve Ulibarri; sisters, Sandra Mills and Leigh Springer and several aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at FRENCH-Westside.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to The American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org.