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ORTIZ -- Maxine Blinston Ortiz died on October 7, 2006, in Albuquerque, NM, twelve years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She was born to Arthur and Geneva Blinston on August 18, 1921, in the Dalles, OR. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Paul R. Ortiz (Rudy); children, Barbara Lee Hunt of Reno, NV, James W. Hunt (Diana Connolly), of Sacramento, CA, Gene Arthur Hunt of Bad Homburg, Germany, and Christopher John Hunt (Shel Hunter) of Midwest City, OK; six grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. Maxine spent most of her childhood in Oregon and graduated from Hermiston High School in Hermiston, OR, in 1939. She was a pretty and vivacious girl who loved horses, liked to sing, and acted in school plays. After high school graduation, she attended beauty school in Hermiston and saved her earnings as a hairdresser to buy her first horse. Her first husband was her high school sweetheart, Lawrence J. Hunt, whom she married in 1942 in Oakland, CA, with whom she had four children. While Lawrence served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Maxine worked as a "Rosie the Riveter" in the Portland, OR shipyards during World War II. In 1962, she married Paul Rudolph Ortiz, known to everyone as Rudy, in Santa Fe. Rudy's devotion to Maxine was never more evident than during the years after her diagnosis with Alzheimer's Disease. Maxine and Rudy lived in Minnesota, Florida, Utah, California, and Oklahoma before moving back to New Mexico in 1982. They enjoyed dancing and horseback riding. They went on many long trail rides, making life long friendships with fellow trail riders along the way. The most notable of their rides was the 1976 Bicentennial Trail Ride, which followed the Santa Fe Trail and lasted for several months. Maxine trained her horses and often showed them, winning several ribbons for her riding skills and her horses' performances. She also taught horseback riding to children and youth. While living in Minnesota in the 1970s, she and Rudy operated Wildwood Farm, a commercial horse barn, in addition to her skill with horses. Maxine was an accomplished painter and sold a number of her landscapes. She also wrote two books for teenage girls, "The General's Daughter", published in 1960 by Julian Messner and "That Girl Pat", published in 1963 by MacMillan. Her creativity and talent extended to her home decorating and landscaping, making her homes uniquely attractive. In addition to her creative talents, she was an efficient secretary and office manager from 1961 to 1975. Maxine led a full life with a sense of fun and adventure, brightening the lives of everyone around her. She will be remembered for her many accomplishments, and most of all, as a loving wife, mother, and friend to all who knew her. She will be missed. Mass will be celebrated Friday, October 13, 2006, at 11:00 a.m., at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church with a viewing starting at 10:30 a.m. Interment will take place at 3:00 p.m., at Santa Fe National Cemetery. French Mortuary 1111 University Blvd. NE 843-6333
        Published on: Thu October 12, 2006