Ethel Place

Ethel Place, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away peacefully on March 9, 2019 at the age of 76. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Alice Ames, and sister, Cecilia Ward. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Patrick Place, sister Sandra Tutor, four children (Theresa Thurlow, Sandra Place, Ernest Place (wife Diana), and Sean Place (wife MacKenzie)), six grandchildren (Leigh-Ann (husband Carlos), Martin (wife Trinity), Symantha, Samuel, Amanda, and Xander), and four great-grandchildren (CJ, Evan, Elizabeth, and Emma-Lynn).

Born in Las Cruces, NM on June 21, 1942, Ethel was raised by the late Ernest and Alice Ames. On December 30, 1962, she married the love of her life, Pat, with whom she shared a rare and powerful bond of love and friendship. The young couple moved to San Juan County in 1963, where they would spend the next 55 years. Ethel spent the ensuing years as a nurturer, book keeper, educator, avid reader, Star Wars aficionado, and lifelong learner. She relentlessly pursued knowledge, accruing in excess of 120 hours of college credit in a multitude of disciplines as to avoid acquiring a degree. Equal to her love of learning was her passion for educating, which she exhibited through years of teaching at Naaba Ani Elementary. Though her family was her life’s work, it was a renewed faith in the Lord that provided her comfort and resolve as she faced life’s greatest challenges.

Her life was defined by the bonds that she forged, the people she shaped, and the laughter and love she inspired. She goes now with the Lord and will be greatly missed. There will be a rosary Saturday March 16th at 10:15 AM, with a service to follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bloomfield.