Thea Babette Gallegos

Thea Gallegos, 99, passed away surrounded by the love and legacy of a family she cherished throughout her life. Thea was born in Munich, Germany, and her remarkable life journey eventually brought her to New Mexico. Following World War II, she immigrated to the United States with her husband, American serviceman Florentino P. "Lee" Gallegos, and together they made their home in Albuquerque's historic Barelas neighborhood. There, they built a life, raised their family, and created roots that would grow across generations.

Above all else, Thea loved her family. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her love was unconditional, and she took genuine joy and pride in the lives and accomplishments of those around her. She celebrated their successes, comforted them through difficult times, and was always willing to listen. When life was hard, Thea had a way of reassuring those she loved that things would get better.

Her family will especially remember her infectious laugh, her generosity, and her love of gardening, birds, animals, and nature. She had a particularly tender heart for stray dogs and animals in need. These simple but meaningful things reflected so much of who Thea was-a woman with a nurturing spirit, a generous heart, and a deep appreciation for life and the world around her.

Thea lived nearly a century, witnessing extraordinary changes in the world and experiencing a life that stretched from Germany to New Mexico and from the hardships of the World War II era to the joy of watching generations of her family grow. Through it all, family remained at the center of her life.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Florentino P. "Lee" Gallegos; her brothers, Horst "Harry" Noll and Roland Noll; sister, Susie Vacante; son, Karl Gallegos; her son-in-law, Henry "Mack" Davis; her grandchildren, Kimberly Bowers, Matthew Bowers, Melissa Bowers; and her great-grandchildren, Timothy Bowers, Gabriel Gutierrez, and Iris Gutierrez.

She is survived by her brother, Otmar Noll and his wife, Cyndy, and child Kahri Lynn; her daughters, Marian Davis, children, Rachel Davis, child, Kahlo Davis; Bekki Davis Jones and her husband, David, children, Sophia Jones and Dawson Jones; Regina Davis; Jennifer Killian, children, April Killian and Sarah Killian; Eric Davis Gonzales and his wife, Monette, children, Anissa Davis, Ethan Garcia, Tessa Garcia, and Elijah Garcia; Dominic Davis; William Killian, and his wife, Natasha, child, Xavier Killian; Karin Bowers and her husband, Ron, children, Ken Bowers and his wife, Courtney, child, Lizzy Chavez; Patrick Bowers and his wife, Jacky; Jasmine Briggs and her husband, Rocky, children, Nathan Briggs, and wife, Rosa; LaShawn Briggs, child, Julian Prue; Amanda Gutierrez, child, Jaslyn Gutierrez; nephew, Chris Vacante and his wife, Nancy Baldwin. She also leaves behind many members of her extended family and friends whose lives she touched.

Thea's family will miss her presence, her laughter, her encouragement, and the unconditional love she gave so freely. But the qualities she valued most-love of family, generosity, perseverance, compassion, and kindness-will continue through the generations that follow her.

After 99 years, Thea leaves behind much more than memories. She leaves a family shaped by her love and a legacy that will live on through them.

Thea's life celebrations will begin with a visitation on Friday, August 21, 2026, at FRENCH - Wyoming starting at 2:30 p.m. Her celebration of life will begin at 3:00 p.m. Family would like to invite everyone to the reception following the services also at FRENCH - Wyoming. Mr. and Mrs. Gallegos will be laid to rest on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 1:15 p.m., at Santa Fe National Cemetery.