Victor Nemudrov

Victor was born January 3, 1951 and raised by his Russian/Ukrainian immigrant parents in Albuquerque,NM. He grew up in a large family with 9 sisters and brothers. He attended public schools and was on the wrestling team at Sandia High School. He also enjoyed writing and driving his MG sports car while in high school. He graduated from Sandia High School in 1969.

Victor began his jewelry apprenticeship in 1969 under the watchful eye of Douglas C. Jones, an established jeweler in Albuquerque. When Douglas Jones retired in 1970, Victor took over the business. In 1979, he married Kennalee McLaughlin. The couple moved to Tucson, Arizona to be close to her family, which paused his jewelry career for a few years. During his time in Tucson, he worked in the family business, managing McLaughlin Paint and Body. In 1986, the couple returned to Albuquerque so Victor could return to the work he loved. Shortly after his return, he joined Mark Diamond Jewelers. While working for them, he continued working for many other jewelry stores in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Gallup. Victor also served as the President of the New Mexico Jeweler’s Association. He loved his work so much he did not want to retire, even after becoming ill.

When not working, Victor’s other passion was running. He was a long-distance runner, competing in anything from a 5K to an ultra marathon. He became involved in Albuquerque Road Runners, eventually serving as club president. During that time, Victor wrote articles for the monthly newsletters. He was a respected and engaging writer, winning a national award for best club writer in the western region.

He eventually became the state representative for Road Runner’s Club of America. While the representative, he was able to secure that the RRCA national convention would be held in Albuquerque.

Shortly after attending their first convention, Victor and his wife created a program within the Road Runner’s Club which was exclusively for women wishing to run their first 5K race. The program was called, “Women In Training.” Victor and his wife directed the program for almost 20 years. This led to Victor, being the race director for the Women’s Distance Festival, Avon Global Running and the kid’s “I Did It” run. He was also active in many local organizations, serving as a board member for Duke City Marathon, Run for the Zoo, Animal Humane among others.

After his many years as a competitive runner, he hung up the running shoes to be a volunteer for the National Park Service, specifically Petroglyph National Monument. He did this so he could continue to spend time on the mesa where he had loved to run. Victor worked hard to keep the trails clean and help make the Petroglyphs a beautiful place for others to visit.

When at home, Victor loved to cook. He was an excellent chef, always willing to try out a new dish and inviting friends over to sample the menu he prepared.

Charitable organizations including Barrett House, Road Runner Food Bank, Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home, and Animal Humane Association, among others, benefitted greatly from Victor’s generous heart and contributions.

He is greatly missed by his beloved wife, Kennalee, and their Yorkie pups with whom he shared many walks, time gardening in their beautiful yard, and evenings relaxing on the couch together.

Victor is preceded in death by his parents, Konstantine and Valentina Nemudrov, his siblings, Lydia Blasko, Jimmie Nemudrov, and Thomas Nemudrov. He is survived by his siblings and their families, Elena Center, Robert Nemudrov and wife Betsy, Richard Nemudrov, Lucy Stape and husband Wilmer, David Nemudrov; brother-in-law, Blaise Blasko; nieces and nephews, Daniel, Heather, Josh, Jessica, Adam, Kyson, Ian, Matthew, Valentina and Cory.

A celebration of life will be held on October 18, 2026, open house from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the home of Kennelee and Victor Nemudrov.