Ray Leger

RAY LEGER'S Celebration of Life Announcement Ray Leger passed away on October 14, 2009 in Las Vegas, NM. A Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 2 p.m. at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, NM. Burial will be at the National Cemetery at a time to be determined. Ray Leger led a life well worth celebrating that had at its core, family, politics and public service. The family was large and loving. On January 6, 1925 Ray was born as the 11th child of Isabel and Francisco Leger, who gave Ray the gift of 14 brothers and sisters: Luisa, Antonio, Juanito, Isabel, Eloisa, Francisco, Joann, Ruth, James, Patricio, Ignacio, Ernest, Marylou, and Richard. Ray contributed to the proliferation of the Leger name in New Mexico by having 8 children himself: Howard, Rando, Steve ( Joyce), Nicolas ( Corine), Martin (Trish Maestas), Teresa (Luis Fernandez), Annette ( Steve Katona) and Stephanie (Steve Lovato), who in turn provided Ray with 18 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Ray mastered all the skills required of his ranching and farming family. He also learned difficult lessons during these formative years, where Spanish speaking ranchers like Ray's family saw ugly discrimination. His rural experiences laid the foundation for some of his later work in politics and education. After graduating from Las Vegas High School, Ray served in the United States Army at the end of World War II. He then attended Highlands University on the GI Bill where he earned both a B.A. and Masters in Education. At the time, Highlands, like colleges across the country, was bursting at the seams with new Hispanic, Jewish and other students who, before the GI Bill, hadn't traditionally attended college. Ray's friends from Highlands became lifelong colleagues and yet another large extended family. Ray was on the Dean's list and Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges. While attending college, he married Mela (Manuelita de Atocha) Lucero and they had 7 children together. After working in education throughout northern New Mexico, Ray became the longest serving Superintendent of Schools for West Las Vegas. He oversaw the construction of modern facilities to replace dilapidated buildings and a significant increase in federal funding and programs in math and sciences. Through the U.S. State Department, he spent a year sharing his expertise on education administration with the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. Ray loved politics. He loved politics, not as a means of acquiring power, but as a means of harnessing the political process to improve life for communities and families. His first run for office was as a Republican vying for Superintendent of County Schools. Although he inherited the Republican party affiliation - which was not uncommon for northern New Mexico families of the time - in the 1960s, he switched to the Democratic party which was more aligned with his political ideals. He was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1969. He was the Democratic Senator from San Miguel, Guadalupe and DeBaca counties in the 1970s. Legislation he authored and championed in education and health services, are still beneficially impacting New Mexicans today. Every time you fill a generic drug prescription for $10 instead of paying hundreds more for a brand name, it is partially a result of the Generic Drug Bill written and championed by Senator Leger. He also sponsored legislation to provide for the initial state funding of Luna Technical Vocational Institute (now Luna Community College). Of great significance was his collaboration with his wife Mela and other educators on innovative education endeavors, including the passage of the Bilingual Education Act of 1973, which is the foundation for multi-cultural education in New Mexico. The National Association of Bilingual Educators honored Ray for his contributions to bilingual education. During his tenure, Ray was one of only two Senators recognized as having a 100% voting record in favor of the working family and education. He continued to serve his communities as a lobbyist until his retirement from politics in 2003. He married Priscilla Gloria Montoya in 1993, in whose loving care he spent the last days of his life. Donations in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Ray Leger Scholarship Fund at Highlands University, Box 9000, Las Vegas, NM 87701.