Patricia Meleski-Heydt

Patricia Meleski-Heydt continued her journey on June 1, 2020. She was born in Poteau, OK to Harold and Wanda Wolf Ferguson. She grew up in Roswell, NM, and graduated from Roswell High School as Salutatorian for the Class of 1954. Patricia attended NMSU in Las Cruces, completing her bachelor’s degree in English. During her Cruces years, she was one of the few women jeep racers of the time. After teaching at Las Cruces High School for three years, she moved to Albuquerque where she began her career at Sandia High School. There she taught English and created a curriculum for her own unique Southwest Literature class. She served many of her 26 years at Sandia HS as Department Chair of the English Department, mentoring both fellow teachers and students. She traveled to Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, Baja, but her travels through the backcountry of New Mexico was where she felt most at home. In 1972 she authored Echoes of the Past, a book about New Mexico ghost towns. She was an active participant in the Victorio Peak treasure adventure. Aside from her love to sleuth the past in research of ghost towns, treasures, and genealogy, she loved gardening, camping, playing bridge and quilting. Her amazing creativity and ability in landscape quilting lauded many accolades, including "Best of Show" at the New Mexico Fiber Arts Show.

Patricia is preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Tom Ferguson and John Ferguson. She is survived by her children Rico Meleski, Corin Meleski and husband John Wood, Mike Scott, Steve Meleski, Nick Meleski and wife Mona Lamont, and Melanie Meleski and husband Donald Trujillo; grandchildren Christee McIntyre, Miranda Sedillo, Daniel Trujillo, Andrew Trujillo, Jared Trujillo, Aspen Meleski, as well as numerous great grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be announced soon. Further details can be obtained by visiting www.alamedamortuary.com