‘Real Santa Fesino’ was always ‘having a good time’
Those who knew him best say David Ortiz had a million-dollar smile.
The toothy grin seemed a permanent fixture of the 64-year-old’s face. It played across his lips whether he was joking with strangers or teasing friends. It stretched wide when he drank his favorite Spanish red wine or told the story of how he became Gov. Jack Campbell’s chauffeur at age 15. The smile even stayed in place when young pranksters picked up the older jokester’s beloved Smart car and moved it around for a laugh.
“He was always funny and having a good time with people,” said Gilbert Romero, commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, who had breakfast with Ortiz at least three times a week. “He was just a nice guy.”
Ortiz, a longtime member of the Santa Fe Fiesta Council and president of the organization in 2015, died in his Santa Fe home on Thursday. He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer early this year and chose not to seek treatment for the condition, according to family and friends.
Ortiz was born at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo on July 22, 1953, to a Native American mother and a Hispanic father. He went to high school in Santa Fe and graduated from the now-closed University of Albuquerque.
After graduation, Ortiz worked in state government, his cousin Patrick Varela said. Ortiz served in the Department of Transportation and as bureau chief in the state Taxation and Revenue Department, said Varela, who is the Santa Fe County treasurer. After he retired around 17 years ago, Ortiz started working as a sergeant of arms for the New Mexico Senate during legislative sessions.
Ortiz first joined the Santa Fe Fiesta Council in 1980, and served in various capacities before he took over as president for a year in 2015.
Asked about Ortiz’s thoughts on the cultural tension surrounding some aspects of Fiesta, which celebrates the Spanish retaking of Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, daughter Ama Ortiz said her father tried to be thoughtful toward both perspectives.
“He loved both of his cultures equally, and he wanted it to be peaceful between the two,” Ama Ortiz said. “He understood what the Indian culture was saying and talking
about and also understood what the Spanish culture was talking about. He wanted them, for lack of a better word, to get along.”
He stayed involved with the Fiesta and helped run the fundraising tent at Fiesta events earlier this month. Ray Sandoval, event organizer for the annual burning of Zozobra and a close friend of Ortiz, says Ortiz also attended that event less than a month ago.
“People were just shocked that he passed away so soon, because he looked great and strong,” Sandoval said. “Really, that was a testament to the strength of will David had. He was going to be there. No matter how much pain he was in, he was going to be there and he was going to get dressed to the nines.”
In addition to his signature smile, Sandoval said, Ortiz was always wore freshly pressed shirts and a bolo tie featuring turquoise stones or Hopi dancers or an image of Zozobra.
“I don’t think he owned a single pair of jeans,” said his daughter.
In addition to his daughter, Ama, Ortiz is survived by three sons, Eliseo, Angel and Jesus and his wife of 42 years, Mary Lee. His 9-year-old granddaughter, Nayeli, called him “hon.”
The proclamation celebrated Ortiz’s “open heart, helping hands, and sincere friendship,” made reference to his skill at making quilts, clothing, and cooking, and declared the man “a real Santa Fesino and a generous citizen of the world.”
“David was a friend to anyone who met him. He didn’t judge a person and loved everyone,” the mayor said in an email Friday. “His smile will be missed by all of us who were affected by his life.”
The public is invited to a viewing at 6 p.m. Tuesday and a 7 p.m. rosary led by the Caballeros de Vargas at the Rivera Family Funeral Home at Santa Fe Memorial Gardens, 417 Rodeo Road. A celebration of life is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the same location.