Cover photo for Tony Madrid's Obituary
1935 Tony 2020

Tony Madrid

September 18, 1935 — September 7, 2020

Tony Madrid, age 84, our beloved father passed away on Monday, September 7, 2020, at home after a valiant battle with Parkinson's Disease, surrounded by his family. He was born on September 18, 1935, in Puerto de Luna, NM, to Nicholas "Nick" Madrid and Placida "Pat" Madrid. He was the oldest of four children and when he spoke, they all listened. His siblings are Gene Madrid (wife, Mary), Eddie Madrid (wife Cecilia) and Josie (Madrid) Erdman (husband, Otto). In 1954, he graduated from Albuquerque High School, joined the United States Air Force, and married his sweetheart, Stella (Sedillo) Madrid. They soon started a family, beginning with the birth of their oldest child, Deborah (Madrid) Davis, soon followed by three other daughters Danette "Dee" Madrid Aragon, Denise Madrid Boyea, Julie (Madrid) Sanchez. A son was born next, Gerald Madrid, followed by another son, John Madrid, then two more daughters, Patricia Madrid and Jennifer (Madrid) Pacheco and finally their baby boy Eddie Madrid (who was spoiled by all).

Tony had a successful career in the Air Force where he worked primarily as an aircraft maintenance superintendent and technician. He was very active in the Catholic Church while his children were growing up, serving as lector, usher, and presenter in week-end retreats. He served tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam and thankfully returned home to his wife and nine children. He retired with a rank of Master Sergeant (E7) from the military after serving our country for over 22 years. In 1976 after retiring in Torrejon Air Force Base, Spain, he moved back to his hometown of Albuquerque, NM. He was ready for a new venture and briefly sold real estate. He happened into a new career in bail bonding. He started his own bail bonding company in1977. He named his company Bell Bonding and had a slogan "Let freedom ring" and advertised "You ring, we spring!". Tony's bail bonding career was extremely successful, and he eventually opened branches in 20 of the 33 counties in NM. He became very involved in a national bail bonding association, and served as President of the Professional Bail Agents of the US from 1994 to 1996. In 2008, he was inducted into the PBUS Hall of Fame. He was very proud of his leadership role in PBUS and traveled widely and often to speak and teach others in the industry in an effort to improve the professionalism of the bail bonding profession. He began attending legislative sessions in Santa Fe every year and successfully lobbied and passed laws to benefit the bail bonding industry. He and most of his children worked for decades in bail bonding. Tony retired from bail bonding in 2018, after 40 years in the industry.

Tony was loved by all and admired by many for his gentlemanly manners, his impeccable appearance, strong work ethic, love of family and his dedication to his profession. He made friends far and wide and never met a stranger.

Tony was an avid golfer all of his adult life, as well as a sports fan. He loved his Dallas Cowboys, and delighted in their wins and never abandoned them in their off years. He exercised vigorously all his life, including jogging, lifting weights, and riding a bike, even until the very end of his life, despite the severe physical limitations imposed by Parkinson’s.

All his life, he was always exploring ways to expand his mind, life experiences and wealth. He had a positive attitude about himself and others and often was heard to say, "nothing goes wrong in my world". He helped many people over the years, not only family members but others with promising business propositions. He was always ready to listen to a novel business proposal and would invest if he were convinced in the success of the venture. He was a shrewd businessman with many contacts throughout the State of NM as well as nationally. He was the epitome of the American Dream by evolving from "rags to riches".

Tony took immense pride in his family, his business, and his appearance. He had a unique, energetic, wise, and inquisitive spirit and put good use to all of his talents. He loved to speak in public and never shied away from the spotlight. He always went above and beyond expectations. No stone was left unturned in his quest for success. He taught anyone who would listen to have specific goals, do their best, try their hardest and push the limits. Tony believed that nothing was impossible and that you should dream big. He delighted in the success of others and learned from their experiences. He hated to be told he could not do something and tried anyway, even when his body failed him. He was fiercely independent and did everything exactly the way he wanted.

Tony is survived by his wife, Stella Madrid, nine children, Deborah Davis, Dee Aragon (husband, Jerry), Denise Boyea (husband, Dennis), Julie Sanchez (husband, Robert), Gerald Madrid (wife, Robynn), John Madrid, Patricia Madrid, Jennifer Pacheco (husband, Richard) and Eddie Madrid (wife, Monique); 24 grandchildren, starting with the oldest Tina (Davis) Garcia; 27 great-grandchildren, starting with the oldest Elijah Smith; and two great-great -grandchildren, starting with Caroline Smith; as well as his brothers, Gene and Eddie Madrid; and sister, Josie Erdman. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nick and Pat Madrid; his grandsons, Eric and Stephen Popiel; his uncle, Manuel Gonzales; and son-in-law, Richard "Dave" Davis.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., FRENCH – Wyoming, followed by a private Rosary at 6:00 p.m. with a restriction of 62 people in the chapel.

The Funeral Mass to celebrate Tony's life will be on Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., The Shrine of St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 11509 Indian School Rd NE in Albuquerque. Due to COVID-19, the capacity inside the church is only 100 people including immediate family. A private burial will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery. The family appreciates your prayers for our beloved father.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the VA Hospital in Albuquerque at albuquerque.va.gov, then click E-donate or to the Southwest Parkinson’s Society at swparkinson.org

The Rosary is available via webcam for those who would like to attend from a distance. The link to the live-stream broadcast is listed below under "Services." Please click on the box that reads: "Click here to Access the Video"

To send flowers to the family in memory of Tony Madrid, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

4:00 - 6:00 pm (Mountain time)

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Rosary

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Starts at 6:00 pm (Mountain time)

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Mass

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Starts at 10:00 am (Mountain time)

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