SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A celebration of life ceremony will be held Monday for the former New Mexico Governor Jerry Apodaca. The ceremony will be held at the Capitol in the Rotunda from noon to 1 p.m. on May 15. He will then lie in state from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Then on Tuesday, May 16, funeral services will begin at noon at the cathedral followed by a reception at the Inn at Loretto.
All events are open to the public but the burial will be a private family event. Apodaca was born in Las Cruces and served as governor from 1975-1979. He passed away at the age of 88 in April.
Jeff Apodaca, the son of Jerry Apodaca, sent a statement to KRQE about his father’s passing.
My father’s legacy was not being the first Latino governor in the country or restructuring NM Government that we know today.
His legacy will be [that] he opened opportunities for people. He was the first governor to appoint Latinos, women, and people of color into leadership roles in NM. After he left politics, he spent 20 years opening doors in corporate America for Latinos and minorities. That’s his legacy.
He was a true JFK Dem. He believed in serving and not making money off the people he serviced!
Jeff Apodaca
