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Christobal B. Zamora, age 82, a resident of Belen, NM, passed away on Friday, March 4, 2005. He was a member of San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas, NM and Our Lady of Purification in Dona Ana, NM. Chris was born in Lincoln, NM on October 25, 1922 to Fulgencia and Christobal Zamora. He was the eldest of twelve children. He was a graduate of Capitan High School Class of 1941. Christobal married his high school sweetheart, Dora Chavez, in 1941. He then joined the U.S. Marine Corps that same year. He fought in the South Pacific participating in six island campaigns until the end of the war in 1945. After he was discharged, he was accepted at NMSU where he obtained his B.S. in Range Management in 1950. Chris was one of the first Hispanic U.S. Forest Rangers and the first Hispanic Forest Supervisor assigned to the Santa Fe National Forest. He retired from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture at the age of 55 after 24 years of outstanding service. Chris worked as a State Forester for the Capitan District where he enjoyed working in the forest of his childhood. Chris touched the lives of many people while he traveled the mountains of New Mexico working in Taos, Espanola, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. His greatest love was the time he spent working with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the churches where he was a member in Santa Rosa, Ranchos de Taos, Taos, Espanola, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and San Patricio. He was especially active while a member of Our Lady of Purification in Dona Ana, where he enjoyed assisting at daily Mass. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant daughter, and two grandchildren. Chris is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 64 years, Dora; his 16 loving children, Patsy, Connie, Jerry, Christine, Toby, Jacque, Marcelle, Becky, Debbie, Terri, Carmel, Lulu, Lorenzo, Lourdez, Mario, and Kino; 31 grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. With the utmost respect for Chris's wishes, cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Our Lady of Purification for a special project in memory of Chris Zamora. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 11, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Purification in Dona Ana, NM. Urn bearer will be his son, Jeronimo, escorted by the rest of Chris's sons. Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St., Belen, NM.
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