Cover photo for Charles Juliana Villa's Obituary
1931 Charles 2021

Charles Juliana Villa

January 8, 1931 — February 17, 2021

Charles (Charley) Juliana Villa, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, businessman, mentor and friend died Wednesday, February 17, 2021. He was born in Madrid, New Mexico on Thursday, January 8, 1931, to Charlie Villa and Edith (Edye) Juliana Villa. His father, who had immigrated from Strombino, Italy, was the foreman of the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company Mine, and his mother was a homemaker, having given up her career as a schoolteacher after marrying. In 1935, following the untimely death of her husband, Edye moved her small family to Albuquerque. Widowed, with two small boys, she worked hard, and money was always scarce.

Charley began elementary school at Lew Wallace. In the fifth grade, he enrolled at St. Mary’s, graduating from high school in 1949. While at St. Mary’s, he played basketball and baseball (and a bit of tennis when he could borrow a racket) for legendary Coach Babe Parenti, and alongside several talented athletes and good humans who remained his lifelong friends. A natural athlete, he liked to say he “enjoyed some success” and he certainly did. Most memorably during his school days, he met Shirley Eggert. While there is some debate about when they first met, their first date was Thursday, November 25, 1948, a day they celebrated together for 72 years. From that day forward, his story became their story.

Charley attended college at St. Joseph’s, where he again played basketball and baseball, graduating in 1954, Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration: Accounting and Economics. He worked his way through college on the Santa Fe Railroad, one of the last firemen hired to work the coal-fired steam engines. It was hard, loud, physical work, with shifts that often lasted through the night. And while his hearing was permanently diminished, and his stomach never fully recovered from the vast amounts of coffee he drank, he earned enough money to pay his tuition and buy an engagement ring. He and Shirley married Saturday, July 9, 1955.

They spent their first two married years in Kitzengen, Germany, where Charley was stationed with the First Infantry, an accountant keeping track of petroleum, oil and lubricants for the Seventh Army. Shirley worked as a civilian employee in Special Services, where one of her jobs was to cut the checks for the entertainers who performed for the troops. They travelled throughout Europe at every opportunity and enjoyed a real adventure.

Returning home, Charley took a job with the New Mexico State Oil and Gas Commission. As the assistant to the Executive Director, he worked directly with oil companies operating within the state and helped to establish reporting procedures to ensure collection of all oil and gas royalties. In 1960, he left that job and with the purchase of Bruno’s Liquors, realized his lifelong dream of operating his own business. Always a team, he and Shirley worked in the liquor store every day. In 1964, he changed the name to Cee Vee Liquors, added a small grocery store, and eventually installed the first self-service gas pumps in Albuquerque, despite Shirley’s strong conviction that women would not be inclined to pump gas. The fact that the very first customer was a woman became one of the most often-told family business stories, and a source of good-natured teasing about her ability to predict customer behavior. A riot in the summer of 1971 sent the business in a new direction when the store was destroyed by fire.

In 1972, Cee Vee Liquors was awarded the food and liquor concession contract at the New Mexico State Fair and Cee Vee Concessions was born. For 22 years, Cee Vee provided concession services during the Fair and year-round the Fairgrounds. From 1982 to 1988, Cee Vee operated the concession contract at the University of New Mexico, servicing the Pit and the football stadium. On one November day in 1985, with events at multiple venues, Cee Vee provided concession services to 75,000 people. The scope of the operation was enormous.

In 1974, Charley and Shirley opened High Noon Saloon in Old Town. Born of Charley’s love of Old Town and the necessity of relocating the liquor license that survived the fire, High Noon went on to become the most enduring and recognizable of his business ventures and a beloved piece of Albuquerque history. To this day, it reflects his hospitality and his attention to detail, with a nod to his hometown hanging proudly behind the bar.

When he wasn’t working, he was a great sports fan, with a particular love of college basketball. A lifelong season ticketholder at UNM, he chose his seats when the Pit was just a hole in the ground. The years working at the University forged strong friendships with many of the coaching staff and players, and he cherished and cultivated those friendships over years and across miles. His favorite trip was to the NCAA Final Four, and he took his family, and many friends to the tournament for 15 years. It was a bonus that the coaches held their convention at the Final Four, so he got to enjoy great games and a reunion of friends.

Through the years, he served on a number of boards and committees, including the Mayor’s Host committee for the NCAA Finals, The New Mexico Constitutional Convention Study Committee, Albuquerque Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Old Town Property Owner’s Association, the Sussman-Miller Education Fund and the New Mexico Retail Liquor Dealers Association.

A lifelong Catholic, Charley and Shirley were active members of St Charles Borromeo parish for decades, where Charley served on the parish council and several other committees. He was the lector at the 8:30 am mass for many years. He also was a member of the St. Pius X School Board, and served as chairman of Project Pius, a successful capital campaign drive.

He was determined and kind, honest and funny. He loved his family and made certain that they knew it. He loved New Mexico dearly, Albuquerque and Madrid specifically. He was genuinely hospitable, which made food and beverage a perfect fit for him professionally. His curiosity was limitless and his ability to gather and sort information was equal to his curiosity. He got more accomplished in 24 hours than seems humanly possible, and yet he was always available to help anyone who was in need. He leaves this world better for his having been here, and less for his leaving. In an article published Friday, May 31, 1935, in the Santa Fe New Mexican written about the passing of his father was this quote: “his death is a severe loss to his fellow citizens.” True too, about his son.

Charley is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley E Villa, his daughter Carla (Mike Bickel) Villa, and grandchildren Charley Bickel and Edie Bickel, his brother, Joe (Virginia Stanley) Villa and nieces Adrienne (Jon) Beyeler, Melodee (Phil) Witt, Carole (Danny) Sullivan, Shirley Sandlin, and nephew, Dan (Julie) Sandlin, and numerous relatives and friends. Donations may be made to the Carmelite Monastery, 49 Mt. Carmel Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505, Roadrunner Food Bank, 5840 Office Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109 or to the charity of your choice.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude for the excellent and compassionate care that was provided by Dr. Suzanne Piñon.

Mass of the Resurrection will be said Monday, March 1, 2021, 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 619 Copper Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM, with Father Juan Mendez officiating. Pallbearers will be Mike Bickel, Jon Beyeler, Edie Bickel, Daniel Sandlin, David Stafford, and Kevin Valenzuela.

To send flowers to the family in memory of Charles Juliana Villa, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Mass

Monday, March 1, 2021

Starts at 10:00 am (Mountain time)

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

NM

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