Gabriel Daniel Zubia

Gabriel Daniel Zubia, 76, died peacefully at his home on April 18, surrounded by his family. Preceded in
death by his son, Brian Zubia, Gabriel is survived by his wife, Cathy, sister, Mary Lou Christian and
husband Bill, son Kirk Zubia and wife Angela, son Jason Zubia and girlfriend Riva Martinez, daughter
Annette Atencio and husband Mario, daughter Karin Medina and husband Patrick Merkel, son Gabe
Medina, daughter Lauren Riggles and husband Ben, grandchildren Alex Zubia, Giovanni Zubia, Desiree
Zubia, Hannah Kittleson, Faith Kittleson, Noah Kittleson, Mackenzie Medina, Matea Medina, William
Riggles, Ian Riggles and many nieces and nephews.
Gabriel was raised in Albuquerque’s Martineztown and graduated from Albuquerque High School in
1965. He joined the New Mexico Air Guard and served as a member of New Mexico’s famous “TACOS”
fighter squadron. He retired after 24 years in the guard as an Air Force Tech Sergeant.
In 1996, he married his high school sweetheart, Cathy Fuentes. They were married in Sturgis, South
Dakota. When he and Cathy were married, Danny was overjoyed to gain her daughters and son, whom
he adored.
Gabriel worked in the grocery business most of his life. He worked for Furr’s Supermarkets for over 20
years. After working at Furr’s, he worked at other supermarkets and then worked for RAC transport as a
truck driver.
Above all else, Gabe loved his family. He would make them their favorite meals on their birthdays and
his face would light up when they visited. He loved his friends, and he loved his church. His devotion
was evident as he battled his illness over the last couple of years. He prayed the rosary with Cathy every
day.
Gabe loved riding, building, and tinkering with his Harley Davidson motorcycles. He would host riders at
his home every Christmas and make menudo and posole for all who came. He enjoyed cooking for his
family and friends and scanned the supermarket ads for the best deals. His menudo and posole were
famous and his barbecue skills were unsurpassed. He enjoyed spending time with his friends at Suits
Unlimited where they would compare notes on cooking and talk about sports.
The family would like to thank the many caregivers who showed such compassion to Gabriel during his
illness. We also thank the many friends and family who visited and prayed for him and especially those
who visited near his passing. We cherished your prayers. He adored you all.