Abenicio Esquibel Sisneros

1936- 2026 Abenicio E. Sisneros, age 90, a resident of Belen, NM, passed away on April 11, 2026, surrounded by all his children and his many grand, great-grand, and great-great-grandchildren. Services will be held at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church on Saturday, April 18, 2026, beginning with a Visitation at 9:00 a.m., Rosary at 10:00 a.m., and a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Abo Catholic Cemetery. He was a man who taught generations the art of helping people through business. Abenicio graduated with a doctorate from the School of Hard Knocks. He was no stranger to doing hard things and refused any shortcuts in life. By the time Abenicio was gone, four generations of family had learned the practice of business by his side. Abenicio was born in 1936 at Rancho de la Tijeras and raised in Abo Viejo, where his family dry-farmed and cared for each other. They were a large family, and a poor one, and by all accounts a happy one. He attended high school in Mountainair before finishing school in Barstow, CA. In 1956, Abenicio entered the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and developed an "appreciation of the winters." Abenicio built up his perseverance in the fox holes cut into the forest floor. He was in the 8th Infantry Division and served loyally in the US Army. When Abenicio returned to the States, he worked at Camp Irwin where he trained in the sheet metal trade. He learned that government work wasn't for him and often stated that "he didn't like working for the man." Abenicio soon moved back to New Mexico to start a business called AMB with his brothers. ABM grew into the largest full-service mechanical contractor in New Mexico. This fairytale business faced unique struggles, and in 1975, he "left the rat race" and moved his family back to the ranch in Abo, which had no running water or electricity. This was a difficult move for his family. By the early 1980's, Abenicio watched his older sons grow up and struggle to make a living. He had promised he wouldn't go back to the "dog-eat-dog world" of business, but decided to do so because it was in the best interest of his sons. Abenicio did what he did best and showed them how to grow a business without any resources. They started Sisneros Bros. Manufacturing out of a station wagon and quickly grew it into the largest sheet metal company in New Mexico. The company still operates today, enabling third and fourth-generation family members to carry on his legacy. Retirement for Benny was a loose concept. He operated a rock quarry at the ranch, helped found the Bank of Belen, and was involved in real estate development well into his later years. Abenicio kept several gardens throughout his life with the same patient attention he brought to everything. Abenicio had a green thumb in both business and gardens. Both required reading the land, knowing what it needed, and being willing to wait. He joined the school board and helped establish the Valencia County Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Abenicio helped people gain citizenship, start their first businesses, and buy their first homes, often all three at the same time. He believed, as a matter of deep personal conviction, that people and businesses were strongest when they came together and lifted one another. He practiced that belief until the end. For 61 years, Rosie was Abenicio's partner in every chapter of life. She was beside him through the beginning and end of ABM, through the return to the ranch and the building of a second business from a station wagon. She may have questioned his instincts at times, but she never withdrew her belief in him, and he never forgot it. Together, they raised their five children - Martin, Alex, Philip, Adela & Joaquin. They were devout Catholics whose faith was never shaken. It held the whole shape of their lives together. They were generous supporters of Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church and several other parishes in need. Abenicio was very much a jokester with his family and friends. All his kin had unique nicknames and jokes. Abenicio knew what they were interested in and would go out of his way to mention their hobbies and careers in conversations. Some of his best lines included, "your muscles are like diamonds, hard to find," and "Who eats bananas?" Abenicio is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rosie Maria Sisneros; parents, Esquipula and Inez Esquibel Sisneros; stepmother, Francisquita B. Sisneros; and 13 brothers and one sister. He is survived by his children, Martin (Sandra), Alex (Debbie), Philip (Antoinette), Adela (Pablo), and Joaquin (Rachel); 18 grandchildren and 11 grandchildren-in-law; 35 great- grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Sylvestre Sisneros, who is 101 years old; sister-in-law's, Ernestina, Josie, Teresa; and brother-in-law Gene (Helen). Please sign Abenicio's online tribute at www.romerofuneralhomenm.com Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St., Belen, NM.

Abenicio Esquibel Sisneros

March 6, 1936 - April 11, 2026