Flores, Ralph M.

Ralph M. Flores,

77, died on June

4, 2017 at UNM Hospital of complications from pneumonia. Born on May 19, 1940, he is survived by his blended extended family in

New Mexico: Geri, Gabe, Leslie, Dominic, Mari, Elena, Josh, Adam, Lucia, Bruce, Deb, and Michel; and in Arizona: his sister Grace and nephew Jason, Josie, Chris, Michael, Monica, Nico, Danielle, Carla, Scott, Ryleigh, Max, and a large extended family there. Ralph was the son of Ralph C. Flores and Guadalupe Miranda Flores, brother of Mando and Oscar, brotherin-law of Bob, all deceased. La familia was a sustaining force in his life.

Born in Los Angeles, Ralph grew up in L.A., Tempe, and Phoenix, received his B.A. and M.A. from Arizona State, attended Berkeley where he saw Janis Joplin singing on the back of a flatbed truck, served in the U.S. Army 1962-1965, was stationed in Albuquerque, Ft. Carson, and Turkey but fought in no wars, taught in Guam and at UNM, lived for awhile in La Joya, NM and Silver City before settling in the Rio Abajo, retiring in 2006 from teaching English, Cultural Studies, and Chicano Studies at CNM. He lived in Tomé, NM where he tended his garden with Geri and his dog Benny. He wrote The Horse in the Kitchen, published in 2004 by UNM Press, and left behind a stack of manuscripts. For many years he played penny-ante poker on Friday nights and counted himself as fortunate in his friends as in his family. No matter where he lived, he left the dirt in better condition than he found it. We’ll miss his dry wit; sweet smile; memory for poems, stories, and songs; and exceptional insight into life.

A memorial get-together will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at the Tome Dominguez de Mendoza Community Center 2933 Highway 47 in Tome. He asked for no flowers, no speeches, no tears and said, "Have a party and tell stories about the silly things I did."