Marcus Oliver Urioste

Marcus Oliver Urioste passed away in Rio Rancho, NM on March 18, 2025, of natural causes at the age of 88 with his beloved dog Gucci in his lap. Born in 1937 in San Miguel del Vado near Ribera, NM, he was the youngest of a big family. The family moved to Raton, NM where Marcus learned English in elementary school. Marcus graduated from Raton High School, Class of 1955, where he was a three-sport athlete in track, football, and basketball, and became a lifelong sports fan. Married for 67 years to Dolores Eleanor Gonzales, she preceded him in death in 2022. Their ashes will be jointly interred at Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Marcus was a 22-year veteran of the United States Navy as a participant in the Cold War. He witnessed months of nuclear weapons detonations in the South Pacific in 1958 on the USS Monticello. Later Marcus was aboard the USS Capricornus during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis blockade of Soviet warships approaching Cuba. Finally, he was a Chief Petty Officer and the ship’s paymaster on the guided missile cruiser USS Springfield, based in Italy during the early 1970s. There the family lived in the seaside resort of Gaeta and traveled Europe. Marcus retired from the Navy in 1977, returned to Las Vegas, NM, and finally moved to Rio Rancho, NM in 2019.

Marcus was a lifelong Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders fan. College sports were his other passion including most recently attending a February 2025 New Mexico Lobos home basketball win. He was a wonderful storyteller, especially of his childhood in San Miguel. Marcus loved to use Navy slang and could tell jokes with the best. He was great with dogs and little kids. Marcus and Dolores took a chance as 18-year-olds to leave the familiar and lived in six states and three countries and came home again.

Marcus was the last of his family as the youngest of six children of Tranquilino Urioste and Maria Eloisa Lopez. He is preceded in death by wife Dolores Gonzales, daughter Patricia Sena, and granddaughter April Sena. Marcus leaves behind three children: Marcus Manuel Urioste and wife Annette (Berlin, MD); Jeoffrey Urioste (Pojoaque, NM); and Lynette Vallejo and husband Jerry (Las Vegas, NM). His seven grandchildren: Elena Urioste and husband Tom Poster (London, UK); Anica and Joshua Urioste (Pojoaque, NM); Gary Vallejo (Rio Rancho, NM) and Naythn Vallejo (Albuquerque, NM); and Amanda Sena (San Clemente, CA), and Taylor Sena (Albuquerque, NM). Marcus had four great-grandchildren: Shade Vallejo (Las Vegas, NV) and Jaxon Vallejo (Rio Rancho, NM); Tico Urioste-Poster (London, UK); and Roman Sena (Albuquerque, NM).

Family and friends are invited to attend interment with military honors at Santa Fe National Cemetery. (https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/santafe.asp) Thursday, 26 June 2025, at 11AM.

In lieu of flowers and if you are so inclined, the family suggests a donation in memory of Marcus and Dolores Urioste to The Fisher House’s Albuquerque facility, where veteran families can stay free of charge while a loved one undergoes treatment in the Albuquerque VA hospital: (https://www.fisherhouse.org/programs/houses/current-houses/new-mexico-new-mexico-va-health-care-system/)