Gwendolyn K. Branch

Gwendolyn K. Branch

Gwendolyn (Gwen) Krecker Branch, 92, passed away on January 20th, 2025, with her family around her. Gwen was born on February 12th, 1932 in East Orange, New Jersey to Katherine Clunan Krecker and Preston Stewart Krecker.

Gwen is survived by her children Katherine Anne Branch (Michael Collier), Curt Nichols Branch (Christine) and Christopher Preston Branch, as well as five grandchildren, Robert Collier, David Collier, Hannah Trigg, Abby Truitt and Lelu Branch and five great-grandchildren, William and Helen Collier, Zoe and Nigel Trigg and namesake Winona Olive Gwendolyn Collier. Close family friend David Athons also survives her. Her older sister Patricia Moyer died on January 14, 2025, just 6 days before Gwen.

Gwen received her bachelor's degree from Simmons College. In 1956, she married Benjamin Nichols Branch, and moved with him to Albuquerque in 1963. From 1969-1970, Gwen and her family lived in New Delhi, India, traveling with a two-year old, ten-year old and twelve-year old to Hong Kong, Japan, Kashmir, Turkey, Greece, France and Switzerland. Gwen's passion for travel started as a young girl, when her maternal grandfather, who was a Western Union auditor, would take her along on train rides throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. Ultimately she traveled to all 50 states, as well as 52 different countries, from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Australia to Uruguay, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. An avid bicyclist, Gwen cycled with the Albuquerque Senior Cyclists group until she was 88 years old, going 15-30 miles a day up to three days a week. She didn't limit her cycling to New Mexico though she also bicycled through Spain (cycling the entire Camino de Santiago), Canada, France, Australia, Texas, North Carolina, Montana, the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands, Colorado and Wisconsin.

In 1976, she went back to college, and while working full-time as well as raising three children as a single mother, she completed her Master's in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico in 1981. Shortly after receiving her MBA, she started working at Intel's first semiconductor fabrication plant in New Mexico. After her retirement, she was an avid volunteer at the Open Space Visitor Center, the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service and SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives), and a judge in the preserved food category at the New Mexico State Fair. Gwen was an enthusiastic gardener, skilled seamstress and a master preserved food cook, canning, dehydrating and preparing everything from green chile, to quince, to elk meat.

The entire family gives special thanks to Emma Claire Collier for her love, support and homemade meals in these past months. Donations in Gwendolyn's name may be made to the Audubon Society or your favorite charitable organizations. A celebration of life will be planned at a later date.