On Monday, November 5, 2018, Joe Lujan passed away at the age of 69, surrounded by loving family who kept vigil with him through the night. He was a father of two, a grandfather to eight, and family to many more. He was born on September 28, 1949 to Noe Jose Lujan and Maria Cordelia Arellano in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Joe forged strong bonds with people and had an especially close relationship with Andy (Jr.) Archuleta, who he considered his brother. Jr’s family loved how the two of them “bickered like old ladies”. Their bond was, and always will be, unbreakable. Joe was always excited to visit with Hailee and Joshee, the grandchildren of Jr and Jr.’s wife Debra. They particularly loved to play superheroes with one another. He also loved chatting and laughing with the other grandchildren Mikee, Christian, and Braiden.
Joe’s heart was full of love for his family, his friends, and anyone he met. Joe was always excited to see his girls and his grandchildren, and they loved their dad and Papi dearly. He was so proud of his daughters and loved them unconditionally.
He loved all old Westerns, especially The Rifleman and Bonanza. When it came to music and television trivia, he was a brainiac. He loved his Denver Broncos and the Utah Jazz. He loved pizza, hot wings, and any kind of chicken. Joe was considered by his loved ones to be the world's biggest ice cream fan.
He loved animals and enjoyed caring for and feeding the family dogs: Indio, Poquito, and even Sancho (whom he called "Underfoot," because he was always tripping over him). He spent many of his final years as a caretaker for his brother Andy’s cabin where he enjoyed driving the four-wheeler and visiting with the neighbors. Remarkably, there was a deer who would visit him often and he finally named her "My Dear".
Joe is preceded in death by his parents Noe and Cordy, his younger brother David Lujan, and his granddaughter Lavender Juliet Barker.
He is survived by his beloved daughters April (Chad) Kjar and Jacinta (Aaron) Barker; his siblings Ben (Jane) Salas, Frank Lujan, Rose (Adolph) Duran, Ron (Sherri) Lujan, Patrick Lujan, Veronica (Richard) Dominguez, and Andrew (Debra) Archuleta; seven grandchildren Kaydence, Aylah, Lyla, Jaxon, Lorelai, Llewelyn, and Atticus; as well as many nieces and nephews.
A special thanks to his nephew Ammon and his wife Emily who helped us navigate his final complex medical issues and helped us keep watch. Thank you to Jr. and Debra for looking after him and always just being there for Joe.
Joe, we will love you always and will carry your memory in our hearts.
There will be a funeral mass held at 9:30 am on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at St. Francis Xavier in Kearns, Utah. Directly following will be a grave side service at Valley View Memorial Park & Funeral Home of West Valley City, UT. This will be his temporary resting place until May 2019 when he will be taken to New Mexico to be with his mom, Cordelia.
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