Retha Gay Shiplet

Retha Gay (Belcheff) Shiplet was the first born to Steve and Alba (Daves) Belcheff on Thursday, October 13, 1949, in Clayton, New Mexico. Her siblings are Larry and Debbie (Yob) Belcheff of Raton, Debbie and Dennis Selvage, Lynette, and Frank Butts all of Albuquerque, and Steve, and June (Campbell) Belcheff of New Braunfels, TX.

She leaves behind many others, including her lifelong partner, soul mate and husband, Dennis; their son, Jerrod (Tina); Dennis’s brothers, Ron (Louetta) Shiplet and Vern Shiplet and Edie; nieces and nephews: Scott (Dede) Belcheff, JoLynn (Steve) Kniffin, Erin (Will) Brett, Sarah Butts, Adam Selvage. Shane, Rusty, and Don Shiplet, and Cassandra Hummell; great-nieces and great-nephews: Maiah Torres (JoLynn), Alex Belcheff (Scott), Jarin Shope (Erin) and Alyssa Sandoval (Sarah).

With dignity she passed into the arms of her Lord and all the pain and suffering ceased from the awful disease of cancer that she fought against for months.

She was preceded in ‘end of earthly journey’ by her parents, Stephen, and Alba Belcheff; two sisters-in-law, Karen (Wheeler) Belcheff and Janey (Sandefer) Belcheff; and her nephew, David Shiplet .

The Belcheff family moved to the ‘big city’ (as the kids all called it) in 1964 and she graduated from Raton High School in 1967. In high school she was active in band, a flute player, and a baton twirler. She was a ticket seller at the movie theater, she also popped popcorn and ate more pickles than she sold. The Belcheff bunch also worked out at the horse races selling tickets and took turns working at their parents' shop during the summer. She painted the town several different shades during her youth, making countless lasting memories with friends she kept up with as the years went on.

She moved to Albuquerque with her best friend Judy Dial. She eventually coaxed all of her siblings to follow her down to the actual big city. She was an insurance adjuster and then a legal assistant.

In the mid 70’s she met the love of her life, Dennis Shiplet. They were married on November 10, 1979, in a little surprise ceremony in the desert of Las Vegas Nevada. They lived a very happy life with many dogs and family gatherings at their home they took pride in remodeling, in northwest Albuquerque. They lovingly referred to one another as Scoobie and Jimmy, something that still makes Dennis smile from the heart when he remembers those good times.

Retha took her career very seriously and had many great accomplishments along the way. She spent the following 20 years with Holmes and Narver then retired after 14 years as a human resource officer and COO for Quality NM.

Retha enjoyed Raton, as it was her home and would make it back for many family gatherings. When it was time to care for her parents, she was there even more often. She also took pride in finding work as a consultant for the town of Raton. She and her sister Lynette made monthly trips (for at least two years) to clean out the large family home to be sold off to the next family. It was the end of an era, and just less than a year ago.

Retha devoted her life to family, the Lord, and her work, helping and encouraging everyone as much as she could. She loved to share the word of the Lord’s light with anyone, including her nieces when they were young, often picking them up for church services and lunch on Sundays. She gave her all and at one time facilitated Life's Healing Choices for Women.

Don’t forget her passion for studying genealogy, her primary hobby for years. Volumes and volumes of information and photos, she loved sharing this information as she found the internet to be full of family history. One highlight was her grandmother and great-grandmother were scheduled on the Titanic, but illness kept them from boarding. They eventually made it to Ellis Island and the rest is history. Retha also recently joined the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).

A Funeral Service will be held Friday, July 15, 2022, at 9:30 a.m., FRENCH - Westside. The burial will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at 12:00 p.m., Sofia, New Mexico.