Jeanette Hare Apodaca, 99, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, with her family by her side. Under the guardianship of angels and raised up on the wings of eagles, Jeanette has been reunited with her dearest husband, Frank, and placed in the arms of our loving God.

Jeanette was born June 26, 1925, in Wineville, California (known today as Mira Loma) to Mary Ann Sierra Carbonniere and Asa Hugh Hare. When she was two years old her family moved to homestead land in the desert of the Salton Sea near Ocotillo Wells, California. As her father, a carpenter by trade, left for long periods of time to work in El Centro, it became incredibly difficult for the family to survive under the harsh desert conditions. Mother Mary made the decision to relocate with her two daughters to Las Cruces, New Mexico where she had support from her family, the Sierra's and Carbonniere's. Jeanette was six years old when she arrived in Las Cruces. She attended Grandview Elementary, Central Junior School, and graduated high school from Las Cruces Union High, class of 1944. Jeanette furthered her education at Robbins Business College where she mastered bookkeeping and shorthand. In 1943, she met the love of her life, Frank T. Apodaca, while he was attending college at New Mexico A&M. They were married in a Catholic ceremony at St. Genevieve's Church on Easter Monday, April 22, 1945. Jeanette shared not only her sharp writing and business skills, but tenacity, patience, and composure as a secretary for the National Defense Training School at the college of New Mexico A&M (known today as NMSU). When the training program ended, she started a career as a secretary with E.B. Law & Son, Inc. Jeanette left her career in fall of 1952 to start a family. This chapter involved raising and loving two sons born in 1953 and 1956. The boys were later joined by a baby sister in 1964. After rearing her sons into high school and daughter into middle school, Jeanette returned to the workforce in 1976. Her career shifted to education where she worked for Court Junior High and Picacho Middle School, specializing in Library Science and Spanish language needs. Jeanette was a teacher by nature with rare talents that inspired youth. Her passion for reading and writing not only highlighted the importance of each but left a beautiful imprint on everyone she wrote letters and cards to. Jeanette retired from Las Cruces Public Schools in 1990. Although her life centered around family while intersecting with rewarding employment, she somehow found time to give back to her community. Jeannette served in various volunteer positions with St. Genevieve's Catholic Church, Marion Medal Club, Cactus Club, Easter Seals, Cub Scouts as a Den Mother, and was devoted to organizations like St. Jude Children's Hospital and many Catholic ministries. In her "spare time", she enjoyed arrowhead and pottery hunting adventures, ceramics, sewing, quilting, bowling, and reading. Jeanette also tackled two important life projects that will forever serve her family for generations to come – extensive genealogy research and record protection, covering our Apodaca, Tafoya, Duran, Sierra, Carbonniere, and Hare family roots, and individual photo albums for her children and every grandchild, even the great-great grandchildren. Jeanette's grandchildren were blessed to have been taught how to read and write before starting school and each went through her school of library etiquette, mastering the Dewey Decimal System every summer while on Grandma's watch. Jeanette was a language aficionado. This took her children's and grandchildren's schoolwork up a notch, and we are eternally grateful for that influence. To adequately capture this woman's life and give tribute to the many ways she shaped who we are and made the world better is simply impossible. Jeanette's love and the examples she set through her faith, resilience, strength, and grace give us the means to share her light as it shines within us. In her honor, may you feel her signature blessing of a cross drawn on your forehead and her sweet voice saying God be with you.

Jeanette is survived by her three children, sons, Arthur L. Apodaca (Glenda), Gary T. Apodaca, and daughter, Jeannine M. Apodaca (Garry); daughter-in-law, Michelle Thomas; six grandchildren, Kimberly Jordan Casas, Monique Apodaca Diaz, Duane Apodaca, Scott Apodaca, Jessica Apodaca, and Jen Apodaca; eight great grandchildren, Brenton Janysek, Katherine Knox, Madilyn Janysek Stachurski, Isabella Mease, Lily Apodaca, Harper Apodaca, Colter Apodaca, and Leightyn Apodaca; five great-great grandchildren, Emma Knox, Weston Janysek, Colby Janysek, Theo Escalera, and Avery Janysek; first cousin, Genevieve Ames Hammond, as well as many loving nieces and nephews. Jeanette was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Frank T. Apodaca, sister, Irene H. Goodwin, and brothers, Marvin Hare and Edward Hare.

The family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Jeanette's angel on earth caregiver and dear friend, Amanda Lucero, the incredible and loving staff at La Posada – Mesilla Valley Hospice, and her healthcare providers that took great care of her for many years, Dr. Louie Benevento and Robert Navarette, NP.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Jeanette on Thursday, May 8, 2025. A memorial mass will be at 11:00 AM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, located at 1240 S. Espina in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Serving as pallbearers will be Duane Apodaca and Scott Apodaca. Honorary pallbearers will be Garry Kuhn, Brenton Janysek, Lorenzo Diaz, and Jarad Mease.

A reception and tribute to Jeanette will be held in her honor following church service. Interment will take place in San Diego, California where Jeanette and Frank will share the beauty of their final resting place together.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapels of Las Cruces, New Mexico, located at 300 E. Boutz.