Maria Josefa
Vilches-Ruiz
Maria Josefa Vilches-Ruiz was born in Sevilla Spain in 1941 and died on June 27, 2026.
A Mass will be celebrated for the repose of the soul of Maria on September 5, 2026, at 4 pm at Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grants New Mexico. Maria married in Spain and moved to the United States with her young family where she completed her teaching degree at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant in 1980. After completing her degree, she was hired to teach English as a Second Language and Special Education in New Mexico. She and her family moved from Michigan to Grants where she lived and was a member of the community until 2023. Maria spent most of her career working for the BIA, teaching at Acoma and Shiprock and completed a Master of Arts in Teaching degree with a specialization in special education in 1993 at Western New Mexico University. Maria was an advocate for all living creatures and after her retirement she found joy in her adoption of senior dogs, Romeo who was trained through The Last Chance Program and Freckles who was adopted from a local animal shelter.
Maria is survived by her three children: Richard Langenburg and wife Victoria, Maria-Asu Donald and husband Kirby, and Elizabeth Petrie and husband Robert, and six granddaughters: Sandra, Jennifer, Abby, Molly, Jemma, and Maya.
Maria was preceded in death by her brother Raphael, father Jose, and mother Transito.
A mass will be celebrated for the repose of the soul of Maria on September 5, 2026, at 4 pm Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grants New Mexico. In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made to the City of Grants Animal Care Center, 722 Sakelares Blvd. (505) 285-4012 to offset expenses associated with animal care at the rescue.