1935-2019
With sadness we announce the passing of Samuel (Sammy) Perez Sr. Sammy died on December 17 in El Paso, Texas after a short illness. He was born in Canutillo, Texas, the second of Amalia and Ursulo’s nine children. Sammy joined the Navy on his seventeenth birthday and served for four years. During his four-year tour in the Navy, he served aboard the USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86) and at the Guam Naval Ship Repair Facility.
Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Navy, Sammy returned to Canutillo and married his longtime girlfriend, Sylvia Armijo. Last August, Sammy and Sylvia celebrated their sixty second wedding anniversary. Sammy and Sylvia had two children, a son, Sammy (Sonny) Jr, and a daughter Yvonne (Bonny). He was a loving father to Sammy Jr.’s wife Michelle and Bonny’s husband Michael LeMaster.
Sammy worked in the propane industry for over 44 years. He was an avid horseman and boxing afficionado. Sammy’s favorite pastime was working on his twenty-acre farm in North Anthony, NM. He enjoyed working on his John Deere tractor, growing fruits, vegetables, pecans and tumbleweeds. He loved raising horses, goats and sheep on his farm. He relished teaching his nephews and nieces how to milk goats and never passed up an opportunity to give each a good-natured squirt. His absolute favorite pastime was throwing parties and kicking up dust at the farm.
Sammy is survived by his loving wife Sylvia, his son Sammy Jr, his sister Romelia, and her husband Frank (Pancho) Morales; his younger sisters, Alicia (Tillie) Maldonado and Maria Elena Hatclifff; his youngest brother, Jesus (Chuy), and his wife Maria Elena (Nena) Perez.
Sammy was happiest when he was enjoying the company of his four grandchildren and their families: Jessica York, her husband Dan, Stephanie and her husband Christopher Rossetti, Samantha Perez and Nicholas LeMaster. He treasured his two great grandchildren, Matthew and Grace York.
Visitation will be at Martin West on 128 N. Ressler Drive on Sunday 22 December from 5-7 PM with a Rosary starting at 7 PM. Funeral Mass will be held on the 23rd of December at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Canutillo, Texas. Burial will be at 10:30 AM at Fort Bliss National Cemetery 5200 Fred Wilson Ave.
