Orlando Cervantes passed away peacefully on June 23, 2022. He is survived by his sister Jessica and his children Joseph Cervantes and his wife, Jennifer; Dino Cervantes and his wife, Leslie; and Kristina Cervantes-VanderLugt. He is beloved by six granddaughters: Alyssa Cervantes Wilson (Cole), Alexandra Cervantes, Isabella Cervantes, Juliana Cervantes, Jacqueline Cervantes-VanderLugt, and Elizabeth Cervantes-VanderLugt. He will also be missed by his dear friend and companion, Rose Garcia. Orlando’s family wishes to give thanks to his devoted caregivers, Maria Rojas and Martha Zamarripa for the devotion, compassion and excellent care they provided over the years. Orlando was born on July 29, 1932 in El Paso, Texas. He graduated from El Paso High School after excelling in all sports and being named to the all-district teams in baseball and football. In 2018 he was inducted into the El Paso High School Hall of Fame. Orlando received a football/baseball scholarship to attend New Mexico State University. After his freshman year, he joined the Army in 1953 and received an honorable discharge in 1955. Afterward, he returned to New Mexico State University and received his civil engineering degree. He met and married the mother of his children, Emma Jean Apodaca-Cervantes who came from a farming family in the Mesilla Valley. Orlando was a visionary and as the manager of J. F. Apodaca Farms one of his proudest accomplishments was bringing a new crop and industry to the Mesilla Valley: Peppers grown for Louisiana style hot sauces. An engineer and builder at heart, Orlando bought properties in Las Cruces and began an engineering firm. In that effort he played a role in the design and construction of many projects around Las Cruces. The most notable was the building of the new library at New Mexico State University. He served on many community boards such as the Rio Grande Natural Gas Co. and served as Chairman of the Doña Ana County Planning and Zoning Board. Additionally, three New Mexico Governors sought his service on state boards. His generosity of
time extended to additional community contributions as well. In 2017 he funded the La Clinica Cervantes Complex to provide medical assistance to the people of Dona Ana County. While Orlando was a noted entrepreneur, his greatest joy was his three children, instilling in them the values of hard work and integrity. His most treasured time was spent around the holidays, gathering with family and friends at his annual Christmas party. He also loved watching all New Mexico State Aggie sports and was an avid supporter. Orlando leaves a meaningful legacy of purpose and vision and he will be greatly missed. Dr. John Morton Fowler, “Doc,” 71, Las Cruces, passed away July 15, 2022, in the comfort of his own home. Doc worked at NMSU for 39 years and was a strong advocate for natural resources and agriculture.
John loved God, land, agriculture, his profession and his family! Doc was born November 16, 1950 in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, the third of four children, to Edith Alexander and Charles Robert Fowler. His father was a Chief Warrant Officer in the US Coast Guard, thus they moved frequently and always lived near the coast in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska, et. Because of frequent moves John always reminded his children that family is often all you have, who you can count on most, that you should stick together and always take care of each other. As a child, John enjoyed the outdoors and loved hunting for lizards and snakes, which once he brought home to his mother inside his pocket! He liked to visit his grandparents on their family farm in Illinois. Doc’s first job was mowing lawns in 6th grade, followed by work at a pizza place, Dunkin Doughnuts and Keeler’s Horseradish Farm. Upon High School graduation John began secondary studies at Iowa State University in Chemistry but soon changed his major to Forestry. He worked summers fighting fires for the US Forest Service and was a Smoke Jumper. He continued his education, obtaining a MS in Agriculture Economics at NMSU then returned to Iowa
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