Manuel Aguilar, III

November 13, 1925 – October 30, 2026

The Aguilar family is deeply saddened to announce the passing of their beloved father, Manuel Aguilar. He passed away October 30, 2026, at his home in Albuquerque, NM, four months after his wife, Lore, and just two weeks shy of his 101st birthday.

Born in the small community of San Marcial, New Mexico, in Socorro County, Manuel was the youngest of the late Manuel and Josefina Aguilar’s three children. When Manuel was just a young child, his family experienced a devastating loss. In August 1929, following the flooding of the Rio Grande River that destroyed their hometown, the family fled in the middle of the night to the surrounding foothills for safety. Their hopes of rebuilding their lives in San Marcial were dashed when a second flood destroyed their rebuilding efforts.

His father, who worked for the Santa Fe Railroad, eventually settled the family in nearby Socorro, where Manuel spent much of his childhood. When his father’s railroad employment took the family to Albuquerque, Manuel continued his studies until his path to adulthood took an extraordinary turn. In the fall of his senior year of high school, while still only 17 years old, Manuel enlisted in the United States Navy to serve his country during World War II. Because he was not yet eighteen, he first needed to convince his parents that he was ready to serve.

For his children, this act of courage and patriotism remains one of the most remarkable chapters of their father’s life. They look back with awe and profound gratitude at the conviction and sense of duty that led a teenager to volunteer for military service while the world was at war.

Following the end of World War II and his discharge from the Navy in 1947, Manuel returned to Albuquerque High School to complete his senior year. He graduated in the spring of 1948, but perhaps the most consequential part of his high school experience had little to do with the classroom. It was there that he met the young woman who would become the love of his life. They married in the fall of 1948 and began a partnership that would span nearly 78 years. Together, they built a life grounded in love, faith, commitment, and family, remaining devoted to one another through the many joys and challenges that life brought their way.

The courage and sense of responsibility Manuel demonstrated as a young man fighting for his country would serve him well as he took on his greatest responsibility in life: raising and providing for eleven children with his devoted wife.

To Manuel, his children never had to earn his love. Whatever mistakes they made, whatever shortcomings they had, and whatever imperfections they carried, he accepted them without judgment. Nothing could diminish his willingness to stand by them, support them, and love them with all his heart.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Manuel accepted a job with the Sandia National Laboratories, where he served in various positions for nearly 40 years. His post-employment interests included gardening, watching sports and classic western movies, visiting local casinos, and spending time with his family.

Manuel is survived his daughters Helen (Tom Fuentes) and Elizabeth, his sons Felix, Mark (Maryann), Manuel (Bernadette), Michael, Eugene (Christine), Raymond, Jonathan (Shirley), Max (Leonard Bechtel) and Leonard (Leanna Montano), 21 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandsons.

In addition to his wife Lore, his parents and his siblings, Aurora Gibson and Joseph Aguilar, Manuel is preceded in death by his grandson Steve Fuentes.

The Aguilar family will forever cherish his memory and remain grateful for the blessing of having had him in their lives for more than a century.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 9502 Fourth Street NW, Albuquerque, NM, 87114.