As death toll from COVID reaches 1 million in US, here are some of those we lost in El Paso

Knowing someone who has died of COVID-19 has become far more likely since the pandemic began in 2020, with the United States reaching 1 million deaths this week. Nearly 3,500 lives have been lost in El Paso.

Both are grim milestones.

The disease ran roughshod through the community, with losses to education, nursing, religion and public figures.

Mayor Oscar Leeser lost his mother and brother to the disease. Zelene Blancas, a first grade teacher at Dr. Sue Hook Elementary School whose videos of students performing acts of kindness went viral, died in December of COVID-19 at 35.  Daniel Morales, a nurse who went to work every day, caring for patients at the risk of his own health, died in November 2020 at 39. The Rev. Jose Luis Garayoa, a pastor at Little Flower Catholic Church, also died that November.

The region’s first pediatric death from COVID-19 occurred Feb. 17, 2022.

The Sun City was hit especially hard by COVID-19. El Paso recorded its first death, a man in his 80s with pre-existing conditions, April 9, 2020. By May 21, just more than a month later, El Paso recorded its 57th death. The death toll reached 159 by July 19 and 600 by November. At Nov. 22, 2020, when the El Paso Times published photos of health care volunteers wheeling bodies to mobile morgues, 856 El Pasoans had died. As of May 17, 2022, the number is 3,459.

There have been 228 breakthrough deaths, those who have died from COVID-19 while fully vaccinated While not a 100% guarantee of survival against the disease, the toll on the community contributed to El Paso’s effort to get vaccinated. As of May 17, 81.3% of El Paso’s population is fully vaccinated.

"While this pandemic has brought grief and challenges, it has also brought out the good in people,” Leeser said in an editorial from March 2021. “And in El Paso, there is a lot of good. We have helped our families, our neighbors, our friends and our community.”

Here are just a few of the stories behind those who have died of COVID-19 in the Borderland:

2022 El Paso COVID deaths

“Chris” William Christopher Postelle, 61, graduated from Andress High School in 1979. He lived most of his life in El Paso. He died March 7 in Cedar Park, Texas.

Jim Forbes, 69, graduated from Bel Air High School, played basketball at UTEP, in the 1972 Olympics for the United States and led successful boys programs at Riverside and. He was still coaching when he fell ill late in 2021 with COVID-19. He died Jan. 21.

Manuel Natera, 75, enlisted in the Army in 1966. He was a loyal lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, he appreciated good music, he was a true crime buff and was able to answer Jeopardy questions with ease. He died Jan. 15.

2021 El Paso COVID deaths

Alfonso Gil, III, 21, loved 80’s music, Star Wars movies and memorabilia, was a collector of model cars, had a vast collection of tennis shoes, dress shoes, socks, movies, sweaters, ties, caps, fedoras and vests. He died Dec. 27.

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Carmen and Marlene Sanchez, mother and daughter, died three days apart, Nov. 30 and Dec. 3. Carmen graduated from Riverside High School and Marlene from Montwood High School.

Eleanor Mary Brutzman (Ellie), 79, lost her fight with a breakthrough COVID-19 infection Dec. 3. Her obituary says her greatest accomplishment was her daughters and grandchildren, who were also her greatest pride and joy.

Oscar Chavira, 62, was a native El Pasoan, who took time to give back to his community by being a school volunteer, crossing guard and basketball coach. He died Nov. 16.

Stephen Andrew Cancellare, 71, lost his battle with COVID on Nov. 12. he was the sixth of twelve children. He graduated from Cathedral High School.

Franco Guevara, Jr., 67, worked for the DFW Airport for 18 years before jumping into entrepreneurship in real estate and used car parts. He was a 1972 graduate of El Paso High School. He died Oct. 19. He served in the  US Coast Guard for 29 years. He was survived by his wife, five children and 13 grandchildren.

Danny Wesley Dove, 58, an Eastwood graduate, was a long-time Las Vegas resident. He battled every day for 33 days in ICU before losing his battle with COVID-19 on Sept. 3.

Paul Mooney, 52, a sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety, died June 14. He was battling cancer and was hospitalized with COVID-19. He began his career with DPS in 2008 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a First Sergeant. Upon graduation from the DPS Academy, he was stationed in El Paso, serving as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper.

Erick X.“CHEEZY” Hernandez, 33, was an EPPC graduate and a graduate of the Art Institute in San Antonio, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art & Design. He died in July.

Anthony Park Garcia, 28, was the second baby born in El Paso on New Year’s Day 1993. He graduated in the Top 10 of his class at Ysleta High School in 2011. He was a talented athlete, lettering in football, wrestling and track. He died June 14.

Freddie Vasquez, 43, died May 8 after a month-long hospitalization in what U.S. Customs and Border Protection determined was a death in the line of duty after he contracted the COVID-19 while working. Vasquez was a Border Patrol canine handler for three years and worked almost 19 years with the agency.

Arturo Carreon, 53, worked for SISD for 22 years. He served the El Paso community by coaching his children’s little league football, baseball, and soccer teams. He died April 7.

Alvin Jones Sr., 57, the father of former UTEP football stars Aaron and Alvin Jones, died April 6 from complications from COVID-19. "My dad is the greatest man I've ever encountered," Aaron Jones wrote in Player's Tribune article that ran in June. "The things he's done for me in my life — he's been there every step of the way. He taught me everything. He showed me how a man's supposed to be a man."

Magdalena Dominguez, 69, worked with children with special needs at El Paso I.S.D. The wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother died Feb.20.

Jose David Hernandez, 75, had been a sheet metal worker. He enjoyed spending time with his friends at various bars around town. He was outgoing, happy-go-lucky, always making people laugh, and was well-loved by family and friends. He died Feb. 18.

Christopher Sarmiento, 33, taught sixth- and seventh-grade social studies at Vista Middle School for a year and a half. He taught at Anthony High School in Texas. "He brought out the best in his students and colleagues," stated the GoFundMe page for his family. He died Feb. 18.

Alfredo Valles, 60, an EPISD band director, passed away from COVID-19 on Feb. 12, and was remembered fondly by family, former colleagues and local music groups.

Gerald Gamez, 55, an assistant principal at Cathedral High School was a longtime educator who worked more than 25 years at several schools in the El Paso area. Gamez is survived by his wife, three children and a grandchild and remembered by hundreds of students he helped over the decades. He died Feb. 6.

Isabel L. “Chavela” Solis, 86, worked as a bookkeeper for Clint Feed Yards for 35 years. She was one of the first women ever to serve as a trustee of the San Elizario School Board. She died Jan. 26.

Gloria Pichardo, 80, was fun, bright and, above all, loving. Her absolute devotion to family was matched only by her absolute devotion to cleanliness. She died Jan. 23.

Camerino Santiago, 67, had been with the El Paso Police Department for 23 years and was assigned to Internal Affairs. Santiago was the first active El Paso police officer to die from COVID-19. He died Jan. 11.

John Edward LeFlohic, 73, died January 10th. He graduated from UTEP with a degree in petroleum and electrical engineering, leading to a career designing and approving the electrical systems for large buildings.

Roberto “Ringo” Hernandez, 67, was a devoted Cowboys fan win or lose, he was there cheering them on. He died Jan. 9.

Vivian C. Molina, 63, passed away on Jan. 8. A graduate of Ysleta High School and the UTEP Nursing Program, she positively impacted many lives during her 42-year nursing career.

2020 El Paso COVID deaths

Zelene Blancas, 35 was a first-grade teacher at Dr. Sue A. Shook Elementary School. She was featured in a viral video that showed her offering her students a pick of a hug, handshake, high five or fist bump for their goodbye each day. She died Dec. 28.

Paula Lozano Ramirez, 82, devoted herself to helping those in need volunteering at church and taking care of the ill. She died Dec. 26.

George Leeser, 69, brother of Mayor Oscar Leeser, was a graduate of Coronado High School and obtained a bachelor's degree in accounting and small business from University of Texas at El Paso. He worked for more than 30 years in the automobile sales and finance industry. He died Dec. 24.

Maria Socorro Casillas “Sukie”, 68, passed away Dec.19, after a seven-week battle with COVID-19. After retiring from UPS, she earned her bachelor’s degree in human services and started her own business as an insurance agent.

Alfredo Medina, 74, owner of Superior Body & Paint Shop on Dyer, died Nov. 25 and his son Julio, 47, who had taken over the business, died Dec. 9. Like his father, Julio Medina learned everything there was to know about the business from his dad, starting with cleaning the restrooms.

The Rev. Jose Luis Garayoa was pastor of Little Flower Catholic Church in the Lower Valley and was remembered as a humanitarian and a fearless missionary who worked in Africa. He died Nov. 24.

Matthew Shubart, 41, was an inmate at La Tuna federal prison in Anthony, Texas. He had arrived in January and was serving a 15-year sentence on a conviction for advertising child pornography out of Alaska. He died Nov. 21 at a local hospital. He was the first reported COVID-19 death at the prison.

Barbara Perez, 76, was a longtime El Paso political and community leader. She was a former El Paso city representative, Socorro school board trustee, county commissioner, a justice of the peace and a wedding minister during a long career. She died Nov. 20.

Ricardo Diaz Enriquez, 83, was a Bowie High School graduate who served more than 22 years in the U.S. Army. He enlisted in the Army in 1961 and did two tours in Vietnam, earning a Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster, two Bronze Stars with a valor device and oak leaf clusters and other commendations. He died Nov. 19.

Bettye Janice Walpole, 84, taught second and third grade at Zach White and Carlos Rivera elementary schools. She strived to make every child feel special. She died Nov. 17.

Leon Metz, 90, was a well-known El Paso historian who authored several books on the Old West, hosted walking tours and wrote a column for the El Paso Times. He died Nov. 14 and was buried among the gunfighters in historic Concordia Cemetery.

Magdalena D. Velasquez, 96, was a mother of six children whose legacy includes 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She died Nov. 12. 

Rhoberta Leeser, 89, was known across the Borderland for her appearances with her son, Mayor Oscar Leeser, in his auto dealership commercials, died Nov. 12.

Margarita Ortega Guzman, 90, was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who humbly approached the world with strength and decency. “She opened her home to be overflowing with life's celebrations, and to be a shelter from life's adversities,” an obituary stated. She died Nov. 10.

Baudelio Sanchez, 89, was a father, grandfather and great-grandfather who leaves behind 14 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He was “a strong, healthy and active man until the virus took him from our lives,” his obituary stated. He died Nov. 9.

Charlie Brown, 71, was a retired assistant high school football coach who helped mold and motivate generations of players. Brown coached at Fabens, Montwood, Burges, Cathedral, Aledo and Santa Teresa. He died Nov. 7.

Linda Hernandez, 59, was a wife, mother and grandmother remembered for her compassion and generosity, including having a Christmas posada for the homeless in her old neighborhood. She died Nov. 4.

Ruby Jewel Kincaid, 85, was a longtime resident of Clint and El Paso and the matriarch of the Kincaid family. “She was a homemaker and devoted her life to her children and grandchildren, providing them with beloved traditions and memories for a lifetime,” an obituary stated. She died Oct. 28.

Leo Lugo, 56, of El Paso, was a special education teacher at Chaparral High School who loved helping his students. He was a former Spanish-language radio personality, including working for Estrella 103.1-FM for more than 20 years prior to teaching. He died in October after about two weeks in the hospital.

Mary Esther Minjares, 67, was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. In 1973, she began working at Farah, working her way to senior vice president at Tropical Sportswear Int'l and Helen of Troy. She died Aug. 27.

Gilbert "Gobo" Esparza, 53, was a father and grandfather, a U.S. Navy veteran and a long-haul truck driver who when the pandemic began in March was delivering personal protective equipment to Florida and the East Coast. He died Aug. 21.

Sara Montoya, 43, is survived by her parents, a husband, three daughters and a granddaughter. “Sara was very outspoken, caring, loving and known to be the life of a party, living life with no regrets,” her obituary stated. She died Aug. 13.

Daniel J. Morales, 39, was a husband, a father of four young children and a nurse who loved caring for others. After a 28-day struggle in an intensive care unit, he died Aug. 4.

Yolanda A. Gonzalez and Luis A. Gonzalez, ages 83 and 56, were mother and son. Yolanda died July 30, followed by her son Luis on Aug. 3. Yolanda Gonzalez “embodied what it meant to be loving and faithful. … Louie was a gentle and kind soul that took great pride in being a loving son, brother, and uncle,” their obituary stated.

Rijdy Kayser Aboud, 73, was remembered by his family as “a generous soul, filled with love and sympathy.” He had two restaurants, PJs Cafe and RK's Smokin' Express BBQ, in his younger years. He died July 30.

Raymond G. Crawford, 87, served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army and devoted more than 40 years of his life as an elder and pioneer with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He worked in prison ministry for more than 15 years at the El Paso County Jail Annex and the Rogelio Sanchez State Jail. He died July 29.

Sergio Macedonio Peña Acosta, 71, was owner of the internationally known Kentucky Club bar in downtown Juárez. He died in an El Paso hospital July 23.

Raymond O. and Norma C. Balderas, ages 84 and 78, had been married for 61 years and died two days apart. Raymond Balderas, who spent most of his life in the U.S. Army and then the civil service, died July 12; Norma died July 14. “They remain together forever,” their obituary stated.

Luis Fernando Paiz, 86, was a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army, including three tours of duty in Vietnam. He died July 11.

Maria Sargent, 91, raised five children. She served in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s and later worked for 20 years at the U.S. Postal Service, where she retired as a supervisor at age 60. She was a resident at the Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home. She died May 22.

Karla Dominguez, 33, was a pediatric intensive care nurse at Providence Children’s Hospital, who lovingly referred to her child patients as "her kids."  She died April 19 at The Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus, of which the children’s hospital is a part.