A
MEMORIAL
HONORING THE LATE CHRISTEL ANGELICA
CHAVEZ.
WHEREAS, Captain Christel
Angelica Chavez died co-piloting her United States air force combat talon II
C-130 transport in Puerto Rico on August 7, 2002; and
WHEREAS, Christel Angelica
Chavez was a fourteenth generation New Mexican, born in Albuquerque, November
19, 1974; and graduated from Albuquerque high school in 1993; and
WHEREAS, Captain Chavez was a
1998 graduate of the United States air force academy; and
WHEREAS, Captain Christel
Chavez, one of the youngest Air Force pilots, received her pilot's wings at the
Corpus Christi naval air station in Texas before being assigned to Air Force
special operations at Hurlburt Field, Florida; and
WHEREAS, Christel excelled at
all her chosen pursuits, making the New Mexico women's high school basketball
all-state first team in both her junior and senior years; and
WHEREAS, her family, friends
and classmates remember her unquenchable joie de vivre and passionate pursuit
of excellence in all things she undertook; and
WHEREAS, among her favorite
activities, in addition to flying and basketball, were hiking her beloved
Sangre de Cristo mountains, especially the Lake Katherine area below Santa Fe
baldy, and fly fishing, which she learned from her dad, Tom; and
WHEREAS, one of Christel's most
endearing leadership traits was her consistent and generous encouragement of
others in their efforts, whether the focus was athletic competition or dealing
with life-threatening illness; and
WHEREAS, Captain Chavez was
fiercely proud of her New Mexico heritage, and will be remembered as a person
who embraced life fully and lived her childhood dream to be a pilot; and
WHEREAS, Christel was the
daughter of Albuquerque banker Jennifer Townsend of Tijeras and former palace
of the governors' director Tom Chavez, now director of the national Hispanic
cultural center, and sister of Spanish museum of colonial art assistant
director Nicolasa Chavez of Albuquerque;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that sincere
condolences be extended to the family and friends of United States Air Force
Captain Christel Angelica Chavez of Albuquerque; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that
copies of this memorial be transmitted to the parents and sister of Captain
Christel Chavez.