Carlos Sena

CARLOS SENA Lucky in life and lucky in death, Carlos Sena passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, January 11 at his home in Santa Fe. With the aide of the Medical Missionary sisters, he was born to Claude Sena and Juanita Sanchez on May 27, 1957, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His family first lived in the north of town on Camino Del Norte, but moved to Coronado Road when Carlos was 5 years old. He began his academic career as a kindergarten drop out, lasting only one day at the Garcia Street Club. He attended elementary school at St. Francis, junior high at Harrington, and graduated from the new Santa Fe High School in 1975. He is still remembered by all his teachers, both for the naughty and the nice. Carlos then attended New Mexico State in Las Cruces, rooming with several of his Santa Fe friends such as Paul Lineberry, Mark Grossi, and Peter Serna. He graduated magna cum difficultium in 1980 with a major in communications. His first job after graduation was working for the New Mexico Department of Probation and Paroles, where he was able to help many friends and strangers alike. Carlos then received a job offer as the Program Director for KENW, the FM station for Eastern New Mexico University so he moved to Portales, New Mexico. He left in June of 1989, for new challenges in Durango, Colorado. In Durango, Carlos first worked for several years as the general manager for KDUR, the radio station for Fort Lewis College. In 1990, he began his 9 year stint as general manager of KSUT, the public radio station broadcasting throughout the four corners region. During Carlos' tenure at KSUT, he developed it into a regional station, serving 14 different communities around the Durango-Farmington area. In June of 1998, he started a second station, the Southern Ute Tribal Radio, specifically to serve the local community that had originally founded the KSUT radio station. In 1990, he unselfishly gave up his career to return to Santa Fe to take care of his family and the family business. However, he continued to be involved in non-profit radio, serving on the KUNM Radio Board after being elected by its listeners. Carlos was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Juanita Sena,; and his sister and best friend, Amalia Sena. Carlos is survived by his sister, Monica Sena; and brother, Jose Sena, both of Whittier California; as well as his adopted brothers and sisters, Nick Klonis, Mark Grossi, and Kathleen Shelly, all of Santa Fe, and Paul Lineberry of Moorpark, California. His uncle, Joe Sanchez resides in Santa Fe, and his aunt, Tina Roybal, lives in Rio Rancho. His godson, Carlos Sandoval lives in Santa Fe. He left many cousins in Albuquerque, the Valley, and throughout the country, as well hundreds of friends and thousands of women. Carlos' greatest talent was the ability, via a quick wit and some wild storytelling, to make people laugh, one of the greatest gift of all. He was also well known for his random acts of kindness, long before giving was in vogue. Carlos was a mountain of joy and had a heart so big that it, often to the dismay of his close friends and family, sometimes cut off the circulation to his brain. The challenge now, for all those he left behind, is to find someone as funny and as entertaining and as generous to fill his moccasins. For more details, please talk to any of his friends or check out the KSUT blog at ksutradio.wordpress.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to Four Corners Public Radio and/or the Southern Ute Tribal Radio at P.O. Box 737, Ignacio, CO 81137, 970.563.0255. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10 a.m. at the St. Francis Cathedral, followed by the internment at Rosario Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Berardinelli Family Funeral Service 1399 Luisa Street Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 984-8600