Lupe Neudecker

Lupe Neudecker was born Maria Lupe Villarreal on June 30, 1932, in Dallas, Texas. She passed away peacefully on October 8, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A rosary will be held Friday, October 30, 2026, 9:30 a.m., at FRENCH - University. Viewing commences prior to the rosary at 9:00 a.m. A prayer service will be held at 11:00 a.m. at Mount Calvary Cemetery, 1900 Edith Blvd. NE. Interment will follow, also at Mount Calvary Cemetery. A reception will be held after the interment at St. Micheal & All Angels Episcopal Church, 601 Montaño Rd. NW.

A proud Texan, Lupe grew up in the former historic neighborhood of Little Mexico, a hub for Dallas's Mexican-American migrant community. She grew up alongside her siblings and extended family of cousins and aunts. Her family knew her as Vico.

Lupe married her husband, Joe on February 18, 1961, in Dallas, Texas. The couple then moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where they raised their three daughters, Teresa, Lola, and Becky. Lupe instilled in her daughters the expectation that they could do anything they set their minds to and should have the careers they wanted. She also modeled acting on her deeply held value that everyone has intrinsic worth and should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

After volunteering at the public schools, Lupe was hired as teacher's aide and later worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory as an administrator. She also volunteered extensively with the Girl Scouts and the Los Alamos Historical Museum.

After they retired, Lupe and Joe split their time between Los Alamos and Albuquerque, home of their children's families, and retained strong ties in both communities. While living in Albuquerque's Nob Hill neighborhood, Lupe regularly walked to the local co-op grocery store and was known fondly by many of the co-op workers and her neighbors. In 2017 she relocated to the Village of Alameda where she formed deep friendships within her newfound community, where she was beloved both by the staff and fellow residents.

Lupe was preceded in death by her parents, Agapito Villarreal Rodriguez and Lupe Aguilar; her sister, Mariana "Bobbi" Santoscoy; her husband, Joseph Wheeler "Joe" Neudecker, Jr.; her grandson, Robert Joseph "Robbie" Robledo; and her son-in-law, Ernest Ray Earick. She is survived by her brother, Pete Villarreal; her three daughters, Teresa Lupe Neudecker, Lola Marie Neudecker, and Rebecca Jo Neudecker; her grandchildren, Samuel Workman Earick, Grace Victoria Earick, John Lewis Leppala, and Barbara Jordan Joy Leppala; and her sons-in-law, Frank Harding and Robert Duffield.

Lupe was a lifelong lover of reading and learning and traveled the world with her husband, Joe to Europe, Canada, China, and Japan. For many years, they celebrated their anniversary in Las Vegas, Nevada, taking in the many shows there. She read books across many genres in both English and Spanish and stayed up-to-date on current events. While staying true to her Texas roots, Lupe became a lover of New Mexico's vast blue skies, autumn aspens, Christmastime luminarias, and Albuquerque's famous balloons. She loved looking at nature and, in keeping with her immense love of birds, was an avid collector of all thing's owls. She would often sit on her patio alongside her statue of St. Francis, observing all the roadrunners and rabbits that would pass by. Snowy mornings were enjoyed with her daily cup of coffee in hand, after which she'd call her kids and grandkids to go look at the snow, but to be sure and bundle up safely before leaving the house. She also loved to take her grandchildren to museums, the zoo, and the aquarium, and enjoyed admiring art from both near and afar.