Nancy Helen Leal

It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts that we report the passing of our beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, Nazaria (Nancy) Helen Leal of Clovis, New Mexico who passed away November 10th, 2016, at her home after an extended illness. She was 54. Nancy was born April 26, 1962, in Socorro, New Mexico to Jose Lino and Delfina Naranjo Leal. She attended school in Tucumcari, New Mexico and College in Utah and also in Portales, New Mexico. She was a resident of Texas for many years and relocated to New Mexico in the mid 90's.
To all of us who knew and loved Nancy, she was a very strong, independent, opinionated yet outgoing person. These qualities largely affected how she went about her life. Because of her social and outgoing personality, she gravitated toward work as a waitress and this provided her with endless opportunities to socialize with and put smiles on the faces of the people she came in contact with, which she loved to do.
Because of her strong sense of adventure and personal independence, she lived by her own rules. She loved camping and the outdoors. She loved motorcycles because of the sense of freedom they gave her. To her, there were few things better than a really fast car.
Nancy was a natural born fighter despite suffering many injuries and illnesses throughout her life, some of which she felt the effects of for the remainder of her life; however, this was not enough to hinder her mobility or quell the independent spirit that dwelled within her. She was an animal lover and had three dogs she viewed as her children, Monday, Snoopy, and Robin. We love you Nancy! For those of us who knew and loved you, you left this world a little less interesting and a lot more empty.
Survivors include: her mother; Delfina Sherman of Tucumcari, NM, five sisters; Toni Leal of Tucumcari, NM, Angie (Don) White of Tucumcari, NM, Michelle Kimbrell of Belen, NM, Martha (Javier) Guevaria of Bovina, TX, and Maria (Jose) Gomez of Covis, NM, and three brothers; David (Yvette) Rivera of Las Cruces, NM, Martin Rivera of Clovis, NM, and Gerardo (Norma) Rivera of Clovis, NM, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
She was preceded in death by her step-father, Valente Rivera.
Services are to be held at The First Baptist Church located at 321 E. Center Street in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Services are scheduled for 10:00am on Saturday November 19, 2016.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Muffley Funeral Home (575) 762-4435 www.muffleyfuneralhome.com.