Businessman, political ally had power to connect
He was warm and affable with sharp business savvy — adhering to an old-school chivalry that contrasted with his forward thinking.
Those qualities were part of Don Ortiz Sr.’s distinct personality, helping him in his pursuits as a banker, stockbroker, father and political ally.
Ortiz died Monday at his Rio en Medio home at age 87 near Santa Fe, the city where he was born, raised and lived almost his entire life. And where he left an imprint.
“He was blessed with tremendous charm, charisma and intelligence that people were drawn to in a compelling way,” said attorney Marty Esquivel, who credits Ortiz with helping him get through law school. “Based on those qualities, he was able to accomplish a lot of different things in his life.”
Ortiz also exuded a paternal strength,
Esquivel said, which made him a strong mentor to him and many others.
He was the son of Frank S. Ortiz, who served as Santa Fe mayor from 1948 to 1952. His father’s mayoral stint rubbed off on him enough to give him a lifelong interest in politics, though not enough to run for elected office.
Ortiz became active in the Democratic Party and became well acquainted with Govs. David Cargo, Bruce King and Bill Richardson, Esquivel said.
“He was close to all those governors,” he said.
Ortiz graduated from University of New Mexico with a political science degree in 1958. He turned down a chance to attend Georgetown Law School because he had a young family and instead went to work for a data processing firm in Washington, D.C.
In 1964, he returned to Santa Fe to work as a stockbroker for Quinn & Co. Soon after, he jumped to the budding Edward Jones & Co., becoming its 38th broker, and in 1965 he opened his own branch office.
As of 2017, Edward Jones employed 16,095 brokers, the most in the country.
Although his feet were firmly planted in financial practicalities, Ortiz showed his fascination with cutting-edge science a decade later. After he became chairman of Southwest National Bank in 1975, he built a different kind of institution.
At Ortiz’s request, the country’s first active solar energy bank was installed at
St. Francis Boulevard and San Mateo Drive. The funding was secured with the help of a progressive bank board.
“Back then, the country was going through an energy crisis, and I just thought that it was
time to try to become less dependent on fossil fuels,” Ortiz told
The New Mexican in an interview a decade ago. “At the time, it was a novel approach, especially for a business. People from Japan and other countries came to see the operation.”
While helping to oversee the bank, Ortiz founded Fidelity Realty and opened the Don Juan Gallery & Gift Shop in Sena Plaza.
The shop’s name became a running joke.
Joe Sisneros, 58, a longtime friend of the family who worked at the gallery, would tell female patrons they were in the presence of Don Juan, the legendary ladies’ man.
At Sisneros’ insistence, they would ask Ortiz if he was Don Juan.
Ortiz always would reply: “Every chance I get.”
“I would always get a super laugh out of it,” Sisneros said.
The Don Juan reference wasn’t totally off the mark. Ortiz was married four times and had six children. And he never lacked for female company.
“All the ladies I ever saw him with were beautiful,” Sisneros said.
Ortiz had a distinct style to go with his personality, Sisneros said. In the winter, he could be seen walking through the city wearing a Russian fur cap, something no one else in Santa Fe donned, he said.
Sisneros said Ortiz was a patient mentor who taught him about the arts and crafts business, which included how to build rapport with customers.
Sisneros now owns the Rancho Chimayó Collection Galeria.
“He was like a father to me,” Sisneros
said. “He touched people in a certain way where he was always very warm and outgoing and very positive. He loved people.”
Esquivel, who met Ortiz through his son, Don Jr., more than 40 years ago, also described the elder Ortiz as a father figure, one he needed through a troubled period in high school.
Esquivel recalled drifting away from law school partly through it and even considering journalism instead — when Ortiz pushed him to complete his law degree and become an attorney.
He took Ortiz’s advice and 30 years later, he has a flourishing law practice, Esquivel said.
Esquivel said it was an example of how Ortiz could affect those around him. He could connect with anyone, from political leaders to restaurant servers to random people on the street, Esquivel said.
“He could really talk to anyone,” Esquivel said.