Clifford Garley

1939-2019 Clifford “Cliff” Garley, age 80, passed away on Friday, November 22, 2019 surrounded by family and friends. Clifford was born to Enriques “Henry” and Leocardia “Lao” Garley on March 11, 1939 in Belen, NM the twelfth of twelve siblings and a nephew who was raised by the family making Clifford thirteen of thirteen. Clifford is survived by his high school sweetheart of 60 years, Criselda. Clifford and Criselda moved to Santa Fe in 1960 when Clifford was hired by the NM State Land Commission later transferring to Game and Fish as a purchasing agent. He received a bachelor degree in accounting from the Collage of Santa Fe in 1974. After retirement Clifford created ‘Pinon Nuts’ a home business which supplied much of New Mexico with clean, roasted and salted pinon. Clifford invented a contraption into which in one end raw, freshly picked pinon was poured into and after processing through a series of rattling, shaking and blowing events out came perfectly roasted, cleaned and salted pinon. Clifford had a lifelong love of youth and amateur sports beginning when he was a high school athlete playing basketball, football and baseball for the Belen Eagles. Clifford was passionate about Little League baseball donating 40 summers to the young baseball players of Santa Fe. For the last many years of his Little League life he was the Northern New Mexico Little League District Administrator. Clifford was chosen to umpire a Little League World Series baseball game in Williamsport, PA in 1985. Clifford created the (almost) world famous ‘Metro Burger’ which funded many of Santa Fe’s Little League baseball teams and activities. Every year, after Little League baseball season Clifford and Criselda would take the family on a summer vacation. With a Coleman stove and towing a small pop up camper. They visited 46 of the continental United States (sorry Minnesota and Maine) always trying to visit each state’s capitol. In later years Clifford and Criselda continued Clifford’s passion for travel, visiting all of Europe, China, India, Dubai, Singapore, Greece, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Belize and Uruguay. Clifford is survived by his loving wife of 60 years Criselda; children, Kenneth Garley, Kevin and Katrina Garley; and their children, Blaine, Dustin, Clayton, Karol Garley, Kimberly Garley Erb, Dr. Christopher Erb, Madeleine Erb, Emerson Erb and, many loving, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Services will take place on Thursday, November 29, 2019, at San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas, NM. A Viewing with begin at 8:30 a.m., with a rosary to be recited at 9:30 a.m., and a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. A reception will follow at the San Clemente Parish Hall. Pallbearers will be grandchildren Blaine, Dustin, Clayton, Madeleine, Emerson, Donald, Gilbert Garley, Milton Barela, and Casey Gonzalez. Interment will be a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made in Clifford’s name to St. Jude Children’s Cancer Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Memphis, Tn. Please sign Clifford’s online tribute at romerofuneralhome@comcast.net

Clifford Garley

March 11, 1939 - November 22, 2019