Utilia Allex

Utilia Trujillo was born December 10,1944, at home, in Chimayo, NM where her parents Adoniasa and Abel lived.  She attended John Hyson elementary and McCurdy high school.  After graduation, in 1963, she went to NM Highlands University in Las Vegas.  It was a fateful decision, as she met Hart there while they were at a dance.

Utilia and Hart were married in 1965.  She worked for the NM Probation and Parole dept until Hart finished his degree.  Then it was off to California, where Hart hoped to become a marine biologist.  Sadly that career was nixed when the Army got him instead.  Utilia worked for Crocker Citizens bank.

The couple next went to Fort Hood, Texas where Shannon was born.   In 1970, Hart returned to Highlands for a master’s degree while Utilia learned child raising.  Next they moved to Questa, NM where Michael was born while Hart was teaching at the junior high.

In 1973, it was back to Las Vegas, for Utilia to begin to finish her teaching degree.  Hart “discovered” Alaska as a means to fund his dream of purchasing and working land.  For the next eight years Utilia and Hart taught in four Eskimo villages.  Along the way they bought 70 acres in Rodarte, NM.

They moved there to build a house, work the land and have their boys finish high school.  Utilia taught at the Peñasco elementary school.

In 1990, it was back to Alaska to finish their retirement.  Three more villages and seven more years did it.  Shannon attended an aircraft repair school at the University of Alaska while Michael was in an engineering program at the University of New Mexico.  Utilia’s hard work as a mother had paid off.

Utilia and Hart retired from Alaska, in 1997, after a total of 15 years.  Hoping to finish their house and enjoy living on the land was denied, yet again when the Army decided Hart needed to be in Germany with the NM National Guard.

Utilia touristed much of Europe during 1998.  Her sister, Nancy, joined for the summer.

After all that work it was time to play as Utilia and Hart “vacationed” in many places and learned Spanish Colonial Art in El Rito and Golondrinas while becoming artists.  For eight years they did the High Road Art Tour, where Utilia showed off and sold her skills and handiwork in weaving, tin and pottery.  She received several awards along the way.  She had started the learning, with Hart, making furniture.

Utilia always felt her most important job was to be a mother, and her two sons attest to her success, though Michael passed long before she did, on the same date-no coincidence.

In the end it was a mis-step and a fall and a brain hemorrhage that completed her life.  Her journey is now over, and the people she impacted along the way will miss her gentle spirit and strong will, but she is now in the hands of God and free of all pain.

Utilia is survived by Hart and Shannon along with her siblings-Juan, Cloraida, Cornelio and Delbert and nieces and nephew-Lisa, Veronica, Valerie, Vernon and Liana.

A visitation will take place Wednesday, June 2nd at the DeVargas Funeral Home Sangre de Cristo Chapel at 2:30 p.m.

The family of Utilia Allex has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home of the Espanola Valley. 505-747-7477