Nicholas Escajeda

Nicholas Escajeda was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Nicholas was born on February 1, 1929 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His parents were Nicholas and Magdalena Escajeda. Nicholas was raised in Santa Fe. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Escajeda household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Nicholas was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Nicholas was predeceased by two older sisters that died in early childhood and is survived by his younger sister Rose.

As a young child, Nicholas was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Nicholas developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Nicholas took part in basketball. He was an alter server in his church. Nicholas' memorable achievements included finishing both the 7th and 8th grade in one school year.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Nicholas as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were English and Spanish. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Sister Bernard.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Nicholas handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Nicholas was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Nicholas was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Nicholas well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelors at St. Michael's in Santa Fe, New Mexico and went on to pursued his Masters at Tempe, Arizona. His favorite courses were in literature and he had a great passion for music.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Nicholas was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Nicholas was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Nicholas to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Willie Blea, Francis Barela, and Fernando and Ernest Pacheco. Later in life, he became friends with Candido Maestas, Frank Trujillo and Benny Romero.

Nicholas greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Nicholas enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Nicholas was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was teaching high school. He was employed for more than 20 years at Pojoaque, H. S. Nicholas worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Nicholas was a proud member of the United States Air Force. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of sergeant. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Nicholas seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Nicholas liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Nicholas always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were music and dance.

Nicholas found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Nicholas played basketball. In his college and adult years Nicholas continued to stay active by playing basketball. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were basketball.

Many organizations were grateful to have Nicholas as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Nicholas was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Nicholas was an active member of the Santa Fe Fiesta’s organization.

Nicholas enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Nicholas appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Nicholas always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included travels to Mexico and Europe.

Nicholas retired from Pojoaque H. S. and the New Mexico State Department after many long years of service. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas. Even in retirement, Nicholas continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Nicholas Escajeda. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Nicholas is survived by his loving family and friends and will be greatly missed. Services were held at Palm Mortuary.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Downtown Funeral Home, Las Vegas, NV.