Socorro “Sukie” Esparza Villalobos, 77, of El Paso, Texas, passed away peacefully on February 14, 2026. She was born on June 30, 1948 to Ernesto Esparza and Rafaela Nuñez Esparza, who immigrated to El Paso from Parral, Chihuahua and León, Guanajuato, respectively.
Sukie grew up on Oregon Street in Segundo Barrio and graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic School in 1963, Father Yermo High School in 1967, and the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1971. After becoming the first person in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree, Sukie taught mathematics and computer programming in the El Paso Independent School District for forty years at Coronado and Bowie high schools.
Throughout her career, she was an innovative and award-winning educator, having been nationally recognized as a Distinguished Teacher by the Commission on Presidential Scholars in 1987. Along with her husband Raymundo “Ray” Villalobos, Sr., Sukie was a devout Roman Catholic and an active member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Anthony, New Mexico. She was also an avid world traveller, animal lover, amateur photographer, and staunch advocate for science, technology, engineering & math education, especially for El Paso’s young women.
Sukie is survived by her brother, Miguel “Mike” Esparza and her sisters, María de la Luz “Lucy” Loveridge, and Teresita “Terry” Ureña, as well as dozens of members of the Esparza, Villalobos, Loveridge, Ureña, and Nuñez families who will always love her as a sister, grandma, stepmom, aunt, madrina, prima, and friend.
Sukie was preceded in death by her beloved husband of two decades, Ray Villalobos, who was himself a teacher, leader, and force for good in his family and community. Sukie is also preceded in death by her parents, her older brother Rodolfo “Rudy” Esparza, for whom she provided care for many years, and her adoptive brother, Fr. Claude Boudreaux, S.J. of New Orleans, Louisiana.
A rosary vigil will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (602 S. Oregon St.). A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, March 7 at 9:00 a.m., also at Sacred Heart Church, followed by interment at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery (401 S. Zaragoza Rd.) at 10:30 a.m. Family and friends are also invited to gather for a reception with light bites and refreshments after the interment to share memories, offer comfort, and celebrate Sukie’s life. The reception will be held at Martin Funeral Home West (128 N. Resler Dr.) from 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Sukie’s honor to Sacred Heart Church or the West Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
