Secundino sandoval biography

SECUNDINO ‘SEC’ SANDOVAL Jan. 8, 2022

Well known artist and Los Alamos icon Secundino “Sec” Sandoval passed away January 8, 2022 after a short but courageous battle from complications due to COVID-19. He was 88 years old.

He was a man that you can’t describe in just a couple of words. In his tributes and those who knew him described him as: a gentle soul, caring, kind, funny, talented, one of a kind, nicest man I ever met, generous, patient, storyteller, teacher, quiet, always had a smile and a hug for you, mentor, coach, spiritual, sweetest man I ever met, humble and loving. From his son Mark, “he was the best dad I could have ever had, he was my hero”. To his family and many friends, he was special.

Sec was a quiet humble man who you may call “salt of the earth”. He enjoyed the simple things in life like nature, art, music, sports, family, and innumerable friends. He never quite embraced the modern world and its technology. He never owned a computer or sent a text message. He still corresponded by writing notes and cards by hand or a phone call.

During Covid he wanted to know when the banks put in those new drive thru windows as he enjoyed going inside to talk with everybody. He had his daily routines whether going to the store, reading his paper, or meeting the fellows at the local donut shop. Sec loved to tell stories. Especially about his early days in Los Alamos. He had an incredible memory for details and would fascinate all with his tales.

Sec was born in Buena Vista, NM in 1933. He loved to tell stories about his humble childhood and growing up with his brothers and sisters. He would say a simple treat like some candy or getting a coloring book with a crayon was special.  As a child he loved to draw with his crayons.

His family moved to Los Alamos in 1944 because his father, who was a carpenter, got a job working for the Zia Company. His life in Los Alamos was rough for him at first. His first day of school he got in a fight and was sent home bec

MARK SECUNDINO SANDOVAL July 26, 1961– March 19, 2023

Mark Secundino Sandoval, born July 26, 1961, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, March 19, 2023.

The only child of Secundino and Stella Sandoval, Mark was born in Los Alamos and was a lifelong member of the community. He graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1979, where he fell in love with golf and found friendships that lasted a lifetime.

He entered New Mexico State University through the Crimson Scholar Program in 1980 and then attended the University Of New Mexico. Mark met his wife, Trish, in 1989 while working at the family restaurant, Montoyas. Trish worked next door at Trail Bound Sports. They married in 1991 and with Trish, Mark gained three children: Heather, Brandon, and Caleb. He loved being “Pops.” He enjoyed coaching, teaching, tutoring, and terrorizing his children and all the neighborhood kids. No matter the day of the week, Mark was feeding the teenage masses. 

Mark joined the Fire Academy in 1991, which led to his 21 year career taking care of the Los Alamos community. He worked 24/7 through both the Cerro Grande and the Las Conchas fires, leading and working with his crew of firemen. While the fires were certainly challenging, telling friends, neighbors and the community about their personal losses took the biggest toll on him. He retired with the rank of Assistant Chief in December 2011. 

You could always find Mark at the golf course enjoying the camaraderie of his golf buddies. He loved to camp in the Jemez, or Colorado…or anywhere there was fishing. He found great joy in sharing these passions with his grandkids and watching their excitement when they reeled in the “big one.” He also loved following sports at all levels, including the junior high, high school, college and professional leagues. This time of year was one of his favorites with March Madness, but it di

Sec Sandoval just isn't into painting nude models. When he was young he took an art class with Randall Davey and a model came in and disrobed. Sandoval left to go outside and paint birds.

Later Davey said, "If you want to be an artist you need to draw what you want to draw, not what I tell you to draw."

He's been drawing since he was five, but never took formal art classes (at least not the kind where he had to draw what the teacher told him to). What makes his art stand out is his unsurpassed familiarity and love for Northern New Mexico.

That is something that comes from getting out and painting what you want to paint every day.

"When I came here in '43 it was the first time I painted aspens," he said. "I just fell in love with them. I said I'm going to keep painting aspens until I get it right."

Just because he didn't seek out art instruction doesn't mean that he didn't care about school. "Los Alamos has been good to me in every respect," he said. "When I came here I couldn't read, speak much English, communicate or get along with the other kids on the playground. I started out at the very bottom of the class....But the teachers straightened me up. I graduated seventh in my class, was the class president and the captain of the football team. But I didn't let that get to my head. I had a very old fashioned family. My father was very strict."

He stayed in touch with some of his teachers until they passed on.

After high school he got a position at the Los Alamos National Lab as a mechanical designer and illustrator. He has a painting by his staircase that was influenced by his technical job. But after working for the lab he was soon anxious to follow his own artistic path. He quit 37 years ago.

According to Sandoval, his boss said, "Good for you. If I could paint, I'd quit too."

While he went through the art in his house, showing me what