Robert "Bob or Bobby" Belin Tsinnajinnie

Robert ‘Bob or Bobby’ Belin Tsinnajinnie, 78, of Torreon (Na’neelzhiin), NM passed away on Friday, September 11, 2026. He was born on April 28, 1948 in Ganado, AZ and was a loving and cherished father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He was raised in Torreon and attended Cuba High School, where he played basketball and football and graduated in 1967.

He attended New Mexico State University and eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of New Mexico. He married his wife, Myrna, in 1974. Both Bob and Myrna were longtime educators in the Diné communities of Pine Hill, NM and Torreon, NM. Bob coached basketball and volleyball at Pine Hill High School and basketball at Torreon Day School. His students and players fondly remember his gentle yet firm coaching and teaching styles. He was appreciated for his caring nature through his roles as teacher, coach, uncle, and friend.

Bob and Myrna raised their three children, Leola, Belin, and Lani, in Pinehill and Torreon. Bob and Myrna traveled constantly to Santa Fe to watch their kids participate in sports while their kids attended St. Catherine Indian School and Santa Fe Indian School. Bob and Myrna passed their commitment to education to their children and saw them all graduate with their bachelor’s degrees. After Myrna passed in 2007, Bob saw and supported Leola, Belin, and Lani as they each completed their doctorate degrees, got married, and started their own families.

Bob enjoyed spending time and making friends at local casinos, eating seafood, and cheering on the UNM Lobos and his other favorite sports teams and athletes. He especially enjoyed watching local high school sports in person and cheering on players and teams from local communities.

His most precious time in his last years were spent with his grandchildren who added sparkle to his eyes every time he saw or thought of them. He played with them, sang to them, read to them, tutored and coached them, cheered them on in their school and sport events, and was a loving presence in their everyday lives.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Myrna Tsinnajinnie, and his parents, Iola Tsinnajinnie and Leonard Tsinnajinnie, Sr. He is survived by his eldest daughter, Leola Paquin and her husband, Dominic Paquin, and their children, Mia, Josiah, and Jeremiah; his son, Belin Tsinnajinnie and his wife, Leona Tsinnajinnie, and their children, Jei and Melelana; his youngest daughter, Lani Tsinnajinnie and her husband, Kellen Pino, and their daughter, Helena; his godchildren, Benelda Cohoe-Belone, Woniya Arquero, and Joseph Grimley; his sisters, Anita Tsinnajinnie, Lenora Tsinnajinnie, and Mary Cohoe; his brothers, Tom Tsinnajinnie and Leonard Tsinnajinnie, Jr.; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

A memorial service for Bob will be held at the Daniels Family Funeral Services Sara Road Chapel in Rio Rancho, NM on Friday, September 18, from 6pm-8pm. A reception will follow at the family home in Albuquerque on Saturday, September 19. A private burial will take place separately in Torreon.

His family thanks everyone for the outpouring of love being shared since Bob's passing.