Lore Aguilar, life-long resident of the North Valley, passed away on June 19, 2026 at her home in Albuquerque, NM, surrounded by her immediate family. She was 96 years old.

Born in Torreon, NM on April 26, 1930, to the late Maximiliano and Victoriana Chavez, Lore was brought home as an infant to live in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, where she would reside her entire life. As one of four sisters and eight brothers, she grew up enjoying the activity of her large family and remained close to her siblings throughout their lives.

In her youth, Lore spent summers with her father’s family in Torreon, NM, where she appreciated the company of her many cousins and extended family. She continued to value her life-long friendships with her cousins until her passing.

During her final years of high school, she shared the halls of Albuquerque High School with some of the brave young men who returned to school after they interrupted their education to fight for the country in World War II.

One of these veterans liked her smile and found out from a friend where she lived. During summer break, he made the trip to her home in the North Valley to ask permission from her father to date her. While Lore’s father had some reservations, he gave his consent to Manuel Aguilar that afternoon, and a nearly 80-year courtship began. The couple would have celebrated their 78th wedding anniversary in October.

Lore said she considered family to be the most important priority in life, and she never flinched at the prospect of raising a large family and managing the household full-time. Her brief career at the Albuquerque Journal ended after she started her family. Later, when her youngest child started school, Lore returned to the workforce as an Educational Assistant in the Albuquerque Public School system. She enjoyed helping the students, including many immigrant children, struggling to keep up and gave them special attention when she found an opportunity.

Her Catholic faith played a large part in her life. She attended the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a child and later became a member of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.

In addition to her husband (Manuel Aguilar), Lore is survived by her youngest brother Dennis Chavez (Mary), her daughters Helen (Tom Fuentes) and Elizabeth, her sons Felix, Mark (Mary Ann), Manuel (Bernadette), Michael, Eugene (Christine), Raymond, Jonathan (Shirley), Max (Leonard Bechtel) and Leonard (Leanna Montano), 21 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandson.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by 10 siblings and her grandson, Steve Fuentes.