Dennie Lee Paschich

Dennie Lee Paschich

Dennie Lee Paschich, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and educator, passed away peacefully in her home in Albuquerque on June 19, 2025.

Dennie was born on January 30, 1954, and grew up in Corrales riding her horse, Pal, along the ditches and through the Bosque by the Rio Grande. She dedicated her life to education, serving as a teacher, vice principal, and principal at McKinley Middle School in Albuquerque. Her accomplishments there include leading the school to selection in the U.S. Department of Education's Drug-Free School Recognition Program in 1992 and receiving the National Blue Ribbon School award in 1993, which she accepted from the Vice President in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Dennie married Ed Paschich and together they raised two sons, Wristen and Millen. She was a loving and devoted mother, and later, a proud grandmother to her two grandchildren. Along with Ed, Dennie established the Faculty Professional Development Fund at Sandia Prep in support of its teachers.

She found joy in decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas, bringing warmth and tradition to every gathering with her family recipes. Dennie also loved to travel, whether it was visiting her sons in Chicago, Boston, or San Francisco, taking in a show during trips to New York City, or riding a horse along the beach at Club Med.

Later in life, Dennie was proud to volunteer as a docent at The Albuquerque Museum. Her family is also proud of her strength and grit in recovering from two separate brain surgeries.

Dennie will be remembered for her wit and generosity, her commitment to education, and the love she poured into her family and community.