Flora Apodaca Baca

Our beloved mother / grandmother / great grandmother, Flora Apodaca Baca aka Maggie, celebrated her 100th birthday on April 17, 2023, at a wonderful joy-filled party. As always, she was in high-spirits and charmed us all with her quick wit, laughter and great stories about her life in California, New Mexico and Florida, On August 7, Mom passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family.

Our beautiful mom will be greatly missed by so many, and we know she is smiling upon us as our Dear Lord and Blessed Mother welcome her into her Eternal Home. She is preceded in death by our daddy, her best-friend, her husband, Joe (Jose Orlando Baca); son, Joseph and daughter-in-law, Christy; grandson-in-law, Tony Plebani; parents, Andrew A. and Beatrice S. Apodaca; siblings Ralph A. Apodaca (Aurora) and Helen A. Salazar (John), and other loved ones who have since passed.

She is survived by her children: Celine (Mike) Radigan, Cecilia (Jerry) Martinez, and Paul Baca; grandchildren/great-grandchildren Leslie Radigan, Gabriella Marie, Ellianna Celine; Michael (Megan) Radigan, Amelia Wynn; Jeremy (Kate) Martinez, Freya Grace; Alyssa Martinez Neumann (Phil); Daniel and David Richards; her sister, Polly (Johnny) Casias, and many nieces and nephews. 

Funeral services will be held on September 19, 2023, at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, 5415 Fortuna Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87105, beginning at 9:00am with a special service and Rosary led by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, followed by the 10:00am Mass of Christian Burial, with Father Andrew Pavlak presiding.  Interment will take place at 2:30pm at the Santa Fe National Cemetery alongside her best friend.

Our Mom  

(aka Flora A. Baca, Flo, Honey, Maggie, Babe, Florita, Laura Flaca) 

April 17, 1923 - August 7, 2023

Flora A. Baca’s childhood, up to the age of 13, was spent in California with her family. It was there where her love of the ocean and books blossomed and played a significant role in her many interests.

Upon returning to New Mexico, she met her best friend, Jose Orlando Baca, our daddy, Honey.  Mom and Daddy literally grew up together throughout their school years.

During her 1943 Albuquerque High School senior year she took her civil service test and was offered a position at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense located in Washington, D.C. as one of its first employees.  (The Pentagon officially opened on January 15, 1943.) Though Mom’s memory became hazy in the last few years of her life, this was one of her favorite stories.  Surrounded at the Fred Harvey Alvarado Santa Fe Train Station in Albuquerque by her large family and friends, she embarked on a true adventure with her best friend, Libby, armed with so many gifts and baskets of food, they fed the entire train car with all sorts of delights.  This was the beginning of her thirty-year civil service career which also included several positions at the Kirtland AFB, the U. S. Federal Building, and the Veteran’s Hospital. 

When Mom returned to her beloved New Mexico from Washington, DC, she fell in love with her best friend, our daddy.  They were married on November 25, 1946, after daddy returned from his military service in the U.S. Army Air Corp in World War II. His tour of duty in the Philippines and Australia, their strong Catholic faith and their many shared experiences also planted the seed for their unquenched love of travel which led to numerous adventures including Europe, Mexico, Bahamas, several cruises and their fun getaways to Las Vegas, NV.    

After Mom retired from her lengthy career in U. S. Government service she launched into her next “34-year career” with the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) as a charter member of Queen of Heaven Parish’s Court. Here she held several leadership roles, including New Mexico State Vice Regent.  During this time, she traveled across New Mexico and the USA attending state and national conventions with her much-loved CDA sisters.  

Mom touched so many lives in her 100 years.  We are so grateful to each of you who have reached out to us. 

Please join us in prayer: Eternal rest grant upon her, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of all the faith departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

We are so proud of you Mom. You were the best. We will miss you. Love you to the moon and back.