Kate Tafoya

Hipolita Catalina Romero de Tafoya, aka Kate Romero, was the youngest of her ten Romero siblings in Cañon.  She is preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, Fernando Angelo Tafoya, the former proprietor of Taos Typewriter Service.

Kate is survived by two sons Ralph Romero (Gwendolyn) and Mark Martinez, both of Taos, and their children.  Grandchildren include Tamantha Romero, Luciano Romero, Ana Maria Martinez Hill and Marina Martinez; great-grandchildren include Malaya Coca, Daniel and Santos Barela.

Kate was a formidable woman, both tender and strong with a guiding hand that instilled strong values in her children and grandchildren.  She taught her grandchildren to quilt and shared her creativity as well.  Her love of dancing was something else she passed on to her children.

A 1950 graduate of Taos High, she worked at the Mariposa Grocery store, Taos Moccasin, Valdez Accounting and was the Town of Taos Clerk, for a brief period in the “60s.  She helped the late Dr. Dominguez deliver babies for a while and stayed to care for her ailing mother to forgo a nursing career.  An individual of keen insight and stinging wit she provided humor and valuable insights into everyday behavior and events.  She had a charming curiosity, seemingly with the agendas of wanting her family to be happy, to learn something about someone new and for things to be “right”.  She was an avid reader and passed this love of the written and spoken word to her sons.

Funeral Mass will be held on Friday November 11, 2022 at 10:00am at Nuestra Señora de Dolores church in Cañon.  Burial will be held on Monday November 14, 2022 at 11:00am at the Angel Fire Veterans’ Cemetery.

The family of Hipolita Catalina Romero de Tafoya has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos.  866-657-4019 www.devargastaos.com