Obituaries (Aug. 28, 2025)

Laura Alley

Died 2025

Laura Alley, 67, beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and aunt, was called home on June 21, 2025.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 2, at FRENCH – University Reception Center.

Please visit our online guest book for Laura at FrenchFunerals.com. FRENCH - University, 1111 University Blvd. NE, 505-843-6333, FrenchFunerals.com.

Melanie Fay Briscoe (Summerlin)

1960-2025

Melanie Fay Briscoe (Summerlin), age 64, entered into rest on July 31, 2025.

She was born in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 13, 1960, to Thomas Harry Summerlin and Florence Elizabeth Summerlin. At the age of 10, her family moved to Springer, N.M., for five years before her family moved again to Mountainair, where she graduated high school.

She had many skills and held various jobs throughout her life, but most notably she worked many years as a front desk administrator at Dr. Barkalow’s chiropractic office in Belen.

Melanie was a loving person, who appreciated the great outdoors and enjoyed traveling and camping with her children. Her passions were visiting Disneyland, collecting dragon figurines and doting on her little chihuahuas. When her father passed, she opened her home to her mother and they lived together 11 happy years until her passing.

Melanie was a skillful cook and took pride in hosting many Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. She loved her family, especially her precious grandchildren and she will be dearly missed by all.

Melanie is survived by her mother, Florence Elizabeth Summerlin; her son, Aaron Summerlin (Vicky); daughters, Gail Martin (Michael) and Fay Gray (Matthew); her five grandchildren, Aliyah, Xavier, Tatiana, Thomas and William. She is also survived by her brothers, Michael Summerlin (Natalia) and Jeffrey Summerlin, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A private service for Melanie will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are being handled by the caring professionals at the Noblin Funeral Service Belen Chapel, where an online guest register is available at noblin.com.

William LeRoy Giron

1942-2025

William LeRoy Giron, age 82, a resident of Belen, passed away on Aug. 20, 2025.

Services will take place on Friday, Aug. 29, at San Clemente Catholic Church, starting with a visitation at 9 a.m., a Rosary at 10 a.m., and a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Belen Memorial Gardens.

He was survived by his loving wife, Elsie Saiz Giron; children, Charles, Kathryn (Dennis), Christopher (Rebecca), Carrie (Daniel), and Bernadette Giron; grandchildren, Jeremy, Emily, James, AubreyLynn and Danny; great-grandchildren, Izabella, Brielle and Xavier; and siblings, Felix (Dolores), Larry Giron and Marsha Carrillo (Ben).

William is preceded in death by his parents, Horacio and Cordelia Sisneros Giron; brothers, Edward, Ernest, Dionisio and Leigh.

He spent most of his life as a Real Estate broker and developer. William also helped found the Bank of Belen, where he served as a chairman on the board. He was part owner and operator at Tierra del Sol Golf Course.

William traveled often with his friends and family. He was an avid golfer. Willie and his wife were married for 43 years and loved spending time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved playing dominos with his family and friends at least once a week.

Pallbearers are Kenny and Derek Giron, Jeremy Olguin, Kevin Johnston, Gabe Marquez and Derrick Saiz. Honorary pallbearers are Reuben Martin, Louie Trujillo, Eric Eichwald and John Vinnacia.

Please sign William’s online tribute at romerofuneralhomenm.com. Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St., Belen.

Nancy Jane Skinner Pettis

1936-2025

Nancy Jane Skinner Pettis, 88, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and dear friend, was called to her eternal resting place on Aug. 15, 2025.

Nancy was born in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 26, 1936, to Ruth Mable Pulliam and Donald Skinner.

In the late 1930s, her family moved to New Mexico, where her father worked on a Civilian Conservation Corps highway project, living in a tent outside of San Antonio, N.M. Nancy’s early life was nomadic, as her father began working as a miner, which kept the family moving to various mining towns in New Mexico, including Golden, San Pedro and Magdalena.

Her parents separated when the mine in Magdalena closed in 1949. In the early 1950s, her oldest brother, Gearald, moved the family to Albuquerque, where Nancy graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1954. Gearald was working at Creamland Dairy at the time as a milkman, and he asked a coworker, Jim Pettis, to come home with him one day after work to meet his sister, Nancy.

Nancy and Jim fell in love and were married June 17, 1955. They moved to Los Lunas in 1959, where they had three daughters, Sabrina Blahetka, Audrey DeMenno and Cheryl Trujillo.

Nancy went to work at the Los Lunas Hospital and Training School in 1965 and worked in different positions, ending her career after 30 years. The year she retired, her daughter, Sabrina, bought her art lessons to help her fill the time, and she became an avid painter. Painting gave her many hours of pleasure, creating mostly landscapes of countryside scenes.

She also used her talents contributing to the Crafty Ladies Group of Peralta Methodist Church. These ladies became her best friends as they happily created items to sell at their annual craft fair to support church ministries. She was the last surviving charter member of the Women of the Moose.

Nancy was fiercely opinionated and held her ground on the issues she cared about. She collected chicken figurines of every type, loved to work the crossword puzzle and talk to her friends. Her life was filled with the beauty and love of family, dogs, gardens, flowers and pecan trees.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; and her daughters, Sabrina and Cheryl.

She leaves behind her sister, Rutha Raught (Duane); daughter, Audrey Pettis DeMenno (Vince); son-in-law, John Trujillo, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, at FRENCH – Lomas. The family will receive guests a half hour before the service. Burial will follow at Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name to the Peralta Methodist Church Crafty Ladies, 25 Wesley Road, Peralta, NM, 87042.

Please visit our online guest book for Nancy at FrenchFunerals.com.

Kelly Ruth Rierson (Walker)

1955-2025

Kelly Ruth Rierson, age 69, a resident of Belen for more than 30 years, passed away on Aug. 21, 2025.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Johnnie D. Rierson; daughter, Teresa Rierson-Davis and husband, Dale; son, Bobby John Rierson; grandchildren, from oldest to youngest, Kimberly Peters, Citlaly Cano, Omar Cano, Ivan Cano, Caeli Garcia and Braedyn Rey Rierson.

All services will be held at the Noblin Funeral Service, Belen Chapel, 418 W. Reinken Ave., on Friday, Aug. 29, beginning with a viewing at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m.

Interment will follow at a later date in Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens in Clovis.

An online guest register is available at noblin.com.