Edward E. Avila

Edward Eloy Avila, 80, passed away peacefully in the early morning of November 29, 2024. He was a cherished husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, veteran, and educator.

Ed/Eddie/Ed the Great/Dad/Daddy-O/Dad the Great/Grandpa Dad was born on October 6, 1944, in Cokedale, Colorado to Eloy and Isabelle Avila who preceded him in death. The Avila family moved from Cokedale to Albuquerque when he was still young, building a home in the South Valley of Albuquerque and establishing roots in New Mexico.

A proud Vietnam Veteran, Ed served in the U.S. Navy as a Sonar Technician from 1965-1966. Upon returning from Vietnam, he re-entered school earning both his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Biology from the University of New Mexico. He then spent his career sharing his passion for science and educating students around Albuquerque, including teaching astronomy at Albuquerque's planetarium and biology at Cibola High School where he eventually retired. After retirement he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Rosie where he continued to teach for several more years until again retiring and returning to New Mexico where they would remain.

When he settle back in New Mexico, Ed felt a need to continue learning so he returned to UNM to take courses that piqued his interest, such as Anatomy & Physiology and Spanish. He was also a passionate advocate and sponsor for helping others through addiction, earning his Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential not for the actual license but because he wanted to know that when he spoke to others about addiction, that it came from a place grounded in education.

As a husband, he could not have chosen a more perfect partner in his wife Rosie. Together they fit like a glove, a match truly made in Heaven. They traveled much of the world together, taking many cruises including to the Caribbean and Alaska and making the most of their retirement years together. As a father, he was as devoted as they come and never missed a beat in telling his kids how proud he was of them, ending each and every email, signing each and every birthday and Christmas card, and concluding each and every phone call with "Proud, Proud, and more Proud too."

Ed is survived by his wife Rosie, his children Shelly and E.J., his grandsons Samuel and Noah, his great granddaughter Lailah and his brother Vernon and wife Patty, along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eloy and Isabelle, and his brother Manuel. He will be dearly missed, but we are deeply grateful for the time we got to spend with him.

Funeral services will be held at 10 am Monday, December 16, 2024, at FRENCH-Wyoming, with a reception to follow. Burial services will be held at the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 10 am, Tuesday, December 17, 2024.