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Lorenzo R."Chico" Burciaga passed away on Thursday, March 19, 1998, after a brief illness. He was born on August 10, 1921 in El Paso, Texas to Meleciano and Juana Burciaga and was raised in Roswell, NM. He served his country during WWII as a B-24 bomber pilot, where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, a Presidential Citation, the Europe-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Service Stars, and a Purple Heart Medal. He married Maxine Theresa Van Sloun after the war and they resided in New Mexico, where they raised six children. After a successful career as an accountant and budget officer with the Zia Company of Los Alamos, he retired in Santa Fe. He was a lifetime member of the Elks B.P.O.E. 460 Lodge of Santa Fe; the American Legion, Post 1 of Santa Fe; and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is survived by Maxine Burciaga and their six children and children's spouses, Ernesto V. and his wife, Cecilia, Ann C. (Cathy) Burciaga-Johnson, Laurel J. Knobloch (Burciaga) and her husband, Paul, Stephen V. and his wife, Cynthia, Timothy V. and his wife, Katie, and Susan P. Martinez (Burciaga) and her husband, Rick. He is also survived by three grandchildren and a grandchild's spouse, Sara Newton (Martinez) and her husband, Rusty, Jason Martinez, and Stephen P. Burciaga. He is also survived by two sisters, Vincenta B. Martinez (Burciaga) and Guadalupe B. Maggazini (Burciaga); a brother, Coyo G. Burciaga; step-mother, Luz Burciaga; half-sister, Velia Burciaga; half-brother, Hector Burciaga; step-brothers, Sal Gonzales, Jesus Gonzales; and a step-sister, Lina Gonzales. Also included in Lorenzo's family are special friends, Leila and Milli Miller. A Christian celebration will take place at the Santa Fe National Cemetery on Friday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m., with a reception following at the Elks B.P.O.E. 460 Lodge on the Las Vegas Highway. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Carl Buckland, Charlie Chavez, Robert"Bob" Fresques, Robert"Bob" Johnson, Chester Michel,"Cookie" Quintana, Eugene Romero, Ray Romero, William Turner, and Eloy Vigil. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to your favorite charity.
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