In Memoriam

Gone but not forgotten. Thanks for your many years of faithful support to the Sandia Ranger District and Friends of the Sandia Mountains.

Clicking on upper half of a photo will access obituary or similar document in most cases.

Memories

Please send your favorite memories of our departed friends and colleagues to webmaster@friendsofthesandias.org for posting on this page.

Jamey Browning, October 20, 2025 – Here is (Dave Weaver’s) obituary:   https://www.salemfh.com/obituaries/David-Stathem-Weaver?obId=34732618. The Natural History Center also has a nice post.

Jamey Browning, October 21, 2025 – I did some searching for Paul Stubbe and I think I found a photo:
https://www.aps.edu/sandia-mountain-natural-history-center/about-the-smnhc/a-history-of-the-center-1/initiatives-in-the-2000s. Here is his obit: https://www.delawareonline.com/obituaries/wnj097595

Sam Beard, October 21 – Do you have Larry Littlefield in your list of former members? He died in the NW after he left ABQ. Apparently, they moved to Seattle in April 2019. He was a PhD in plant pathology and was a co-author of a large book with pictures on wildflowers in either the Sandia Mtns or in NM. He was a certified USFS chain sawyer for a short time. I think that he was a professor at UNM. He died a relatively short time after moving to Seattle.

Don Carnicom, October 21, 2025 – Margaret Furman certainly ought to be on the list. Don’t know much about her background except she was secretary of FOF before FOSM came along. She worked at Sandia Labs and helped me put Cibola Trail Rangers together. Lived on South 14 as it was called then.

Then there was the first FOF President Richard Becker. Again, don’t know much background.

You probably have Don Peterson on your list. First FOF vice president, Division Supervisor at Sandia Labs for many years in computer aided design, very active in Mountain Club and maybe a founder of that group, along with his wife, an artist that designed one of our snowshoe race T shirts. Lived next to the Three Gun Trail Trailhead and housed volunteers manning the Hawkwatch counting location near their home. Probably a lot more I’m not remembering.

Sally Lowder, October 23, 2025 – Attached is a picture of the paint crew from 2010. The lady sitting down with a white shirt is Phyllis Grein. She was a regular on the paint crew with Jane Harrison (no longer a FOSM member) and Sara Morlan (a regular for a long time). Sara is also deceased. I can’t find a picture of Sara. I also don’t know the dates of death.  

Ken Nicholson, October 23, 2025 – Attached are pictures of Dave Weaver and Paul Stubbe you may want to use, courtesy of the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center.

Stefan Martin, October 23, 2025 – I’ve attached Larry Littlefield’s obituary. I assume you have Patricia Benton’s obituary since the photo you have of her was used in her obituary back in 2021. ttps://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/abqjournal/name/patricia-benton-obituary?id=19690114

Rav Nicholson, October 23, 2025 – I believe Margaret Furman passed away in 2014. I recall going to her celebration of life that year.

Sally Lowder, October 24, 2025 – As requested from Jane (Harrison). Phyllis (Grein) certainly was a talented person!!! I knew her but not well.

You might look into Dave (David) Hammack and wife Sondra. They were long time members. He is the gentleman that used to hike up La Luz Trail once or twice a week. I believe he died but not sure of Sondra.

Sally Lowder, October 25, 2025 – Bob and I both remember a member/volunteer named Chris Von Huene. He was an MD through the Lovelace system at one time. He used to help with grafitti removal (long before Sam really got involved with that we think). He also helped with renovation of the Tijeras Pueblo Trail and other field projects like the puncheon work on Oso Corredor (this is where this photo was taken. Beyond this, I am not sure we know much about him. We believe he passed away, but not sure when/where.

Dick Vivian was another FOSM member and I don’t have much info about him. Once again, some of the older long time members might be able to help with him. He did live in Tijeras area.

I found this picture of Bill Geck, Don Carnicom and Bob Lowder during a National Trails Day event. I thought you would like to see this—–these 3 always had a blast working together. Good memories.

Here are two more names to check on. They were very active with FOSM and with FS/Tijeras Pueblo in general. Some of the older (Ha Ha) members might be able to tell you more. Dotty (Bender) did work the desk at FS in Tijeras. Lynn (Bender) was a jack of all trades. Sam could probably tell you more. No idea when passed on.

Betty Smith was another long time member—I did very little with her. Not sure what all she did.

Newton Garland

Jim Deal and Carol Mochel Deal (She may still be living). He died in last 2? years. They worked the Tram Visitor Center a lot.

Bill Geck—-big worker with Sam on all kinds of projects and was a certified CC sawyer. (Absolutely one of nicest, greatest volunteers Bob and I knew). He helped with Everything!!! I will look for a pick!

Here is the best picture of Bill Geck I could find. He is the person on the left.

Dan Benton, November 1, 2025 – Betsy (Galloway) has chosen this photo of Bob for your webpage.

Rav Nicholson, November 2, 2025 – A hike today jogged my memory about a former FOSM volunteer, Chris von Heune, who should be included on the memorial web page. He passed away in 2009 and, Prior to his passing, worked with FOSM on hazard tree removal projects and graffiti removal. I’ll have to check my photo files to see if I have his picture, although it would probably be part of a group photo. In any case, I’ve attached his obit, which I’ve kept with my German conversation group files all these years.

Cliff Giles, November 13, 2025 – Pat Benton was the first FOSM member with whom I interacted in early 2018 after reading an article about the organization in the Albuquerque Journal. I was looking for a way to give back after enjoying hiking about 2,100 miles in the Sandias since my retirement. Pat’s telephone number must have been included in the article as I remember her describing the work of the Monday and Thursday crews. She and Dan suggested I contact Bob Lowder. I greatly enjoyed working as a member of the trail maintenance crew for the next two years until keeping up on the long hikes and snowshoes became an issue and I switched to Sam Beard’s Wednesday crew.

Cliff Giles, November 13, 2025 – It’s a good thing Pat steered me to the Monday crew because my experience with Bob Galloway and crew soon afterwards made me realize how short I was of the necessary stamina to be a member of the Thursday trail construction crew. Bob was leading the Cienega/Armijo Trails Improvement Project (CATIP) and asked Bob Lowder for help from the Monday crew with clearing some fallen trees. I remember that we parked at someone’s house then headed up the mountain towards the work site. Bob’s pace left me in his dust panting for breath. Unfortunately, I never got another opportunity to interact with Bob before he lost his brave fight with cancer.

Lou Romero, November 14, 2025 – Pat was my initial FOSM contact too when I was president of Amigos.