 GORMAN, RICHARD R. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 2 Timothy 4:7 Cherished husband, beloved son, father, brother, uncle and friend, Richard R. Gorman passed away peacefully at home on March 16, 2014, following a courageous and valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Richard was 60 year old. He was surrounded by his loving family. Born in Santa Fe to Robert and Virginia Gorman, Richard lived his entire life in Santa Fe, a place he truly loved. Although Richard enjoyed traveling to many different places, he always said he would never leave Santa Fe. Richard had an infectious smile and hearty laugh. His love of the outdoors was evident in the activities he enjoyed including hiking, biking, fishing, backpacking, and skiing. Richard's dream as a child was to build a true log cabin. Following a backpacking trip with his wife Shea and son Ryan, they found the perfect location for his dream cabin on the Pecos River. After designing and building his cabin, this quickly became Richard's sanctuary. He and Shea and their families spent many wonderful weekends at the cabin. Richard attended the University of New Mexico where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture. His career began straight out of college at Kraus Engineering. He quickly learned and provided structural engineering design for various types of buildings. Two of these projects were the Indian Health Services Facility on Cerrillos Road and the Manuel Lujan State Office Building on St. Francis Drive. He later worked with Bernabe Romero as an apprentice architect. He was the chief building inspector for the City of Santa Fe and the County Land Use Administrator for Santa Fe County. After leaving the County, Richard was a well-known private land use planner with a reputation for getting things done. He was also a licensed contractor and built many beautiful homes in Santa Fe along with his brothers. Richard served on the Santa Fe School Board for four years. In 1993-1994 he served as its President. Richard ended his career as the Project Manager for the New Mexico School for the Deaf. In this position Richard strived to make a difference for the NMSD community. He was recently recognized with a permanent plaque at NMSD for his contributions to the redevelopment of the campus. Richard was very involved with his parish, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was instrumental in the design and construction of many improvements including the exterior statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Guadalupe Street and the El Cerro de Tepeyac Memorial on the east end of the church parking lot. Richard is preceded in death by his father Robert D. Gorman, Sr., his paternal grandparents Richard and Magdalena Gorman, his maternal grandfather Leandro Montoya and his maternal grandmother Lillie Miera. He is also preceded in death by his special uncle and godfather, Joseph J. Gorman. He is survived by his adoring wife, Shea Gorman; loving mother, Virginia Gorman; and children Felecia, Chris and Ryan. He also leaves behind his siblings, Robert Gorman, Jr. (Cathy), Peggy Martinez (Larry), Gina Arsenault (Jon), James Gorman (Paula), and Don Gorman (Suzanne). Many other relatives, including his uncle, Ernesto Montoya (Molly), and nieces, nephews and cousins survive him, along with many friends. Shea's family had a very special place in their hearts for Richard and cherished his being a part of their family. A Rosary will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 7:00 p.m. on March 19, 2014. The Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on March 20, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., followed by interment at Rosario Cemetery. A reception for family and friends will immediately follow at St. Anne's Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in memory of Richard R. Gorman to: MD Anderson Cancer Center Unit 0705 Post Office Box 301439 Houston, TX 77230-1439 gifts.mdanderson.org
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