Carmen Hatch

Carmen Irene Hatch, 86 passed away on Nov 9 at the Resolute Hospital in New Braunfels, Texas. Carmen was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico to Andre and Irene Torres. She earned a bachelors degree in Teaching and taught 3 different grades together in a small rural Puerto Rican school for a period of 3 years.

When the Cuban Crisis arose in the 60’s, Carmen answered the call of the U.S Government for Native Puerto Rican Spanish Speakers to come to the United States to translate Highly Classified Cuban conversations captured by U.S. military operations. For her professionalism Carmen was recruited by NSA and spent the next 30 years as a High Security Linguist traveling to various USA Embassy’s in South America as well as working from the NSA Headquarters in Maryland.

In 1968 she met a US soldier Joseph Hatch that was doing his military tour at Fort Belvoir just outside of Washington D.C. He completed his military tour and they were married in August, 1968 at the Mormon Chapel in Washington D.C. Carmen and Joseph took up residence in Hanover, Maryland because of the proximity to Carmen work at NSA. Joseph was a 1964 graduate of the Farmington High School and to this day continues to have family and relatives living in the Farmington area. Carmen loved to come out to Farmington and visit relatives of her husband and had a special fondness for Indian Turquoise Jewelry. Carmen was a major influence and support for her husband to go to the University of Maryland and obtain a BA in Architecture. After working 10 years at various Architectural Firms in Baltimore/Washington, Carmen convinced her husband to join NSA to work in their Architectural Department where he worked for another 30 years.

Carmen was a unique personality full of loving and giving to everyone that came into her life. She had a personality that would brighten any gathering and fill the air with laughter and warm emotions. She never bragged on herself for all the incredible things she had done in her 30 years at NSA, but instead talked about the things her husband was doing and how proud she was of him. Carmen later in life developed some very serious health issues and retired in1996. In 2016 she moved to New Braunfels, Texas and lived with her retired ex-spouse in a beautiful home he purchased so he could take care of her. She lived in the home 3 wonderful years without any serious health problems and it brought a lot of joy back into her life. Eventually her health issued returned and she moved to a local nursing home where she lived for the last 6 months. On November 9, 2020 she developed serious internal bleeding and was rushed to the Resolute Hospital where she passed away after a few hours.

Carmen will be greatly missed and always be loved by her family and close friends. Carmen is survived by her ex-spouse Joseph Hatch, her sister Hilda Goldberg, and by 2 nieces Wanda, and Sylvia Christine and 1 nephew Andy.

Due to the pandemic and government restrictions, the family will be holding a brief graveside service for family members and friends able to attend at the Kirtland Cemetery. The funeral burial service will be held November 20, 2020.