IN MEMORIAM

BY DAVID FERNANDEZ

our former Executive Director of the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, wrote the following in the introductory article for the first published issue of Land Water People Time cultural guide magazine:

“From ancient Native culture to Spanish exploration and colonization to Mexican independence and U.S. statehood, Northern New Mexico’s history is complex and intensely interesting. The combination of cultures, languages, folk arts, customs and architecture that emerged from these multifaceted interactions continues to shape the heritage area today, giving it a flavor all its own. We add the current experience of Mexican immigration and Anglo migrations to the mix and the region becomes a place like no other.” (This is one paragraph from a comprehensive and exceptionally cohesive, deeply researched article.)

That article was titled, “A Place Like No Other,” composed and written by Tom. Now, we, the Board of Directors, staff, partners, associates and friends of the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area (NRGNHA) are mourning his death. He passed away on March 12, 2022. Que Descanse En La Paz Eterna Y En La Divina Luz.

We who have had the privilege of working with Thomas A. Romero recognize and know that his final departure means that we have all lost a masterful and exceptional resource of cultural knowledge and intelligence; we know at the same time, that his work and achievements during his lifetime have advanced the tasks, mission and vision of the NRGNHA to which he was dedicated in his decade-long tenure as a skilled executive director; as well as the work of other institutions and organizations with which he was associated, including El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe.

The NRGNHA region, a vast area that encompasses 10,000 square miles and includes the Counties of Taos, Rio Arriba and Santa Fe, also is the home of highly-gifted thinkers, writers, scholars, artists. In his own way, Tom proved to be exceptional in the area and among his peers as well.

Tom was born in Santa Rosa, N.M. on Nov. 21, 1946. He loved his work with El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe and other organizations that sought to promote the Hispanic and Native cultures of New Mexico. His family and friends recall him as a firm but gentle presence and possessed of a good sense of humor and kindness.

We recall him as an exceptionally effective director of the NRGNHA during the 10 years that he and the Board guided the organization. Karl Cordova, who is the U.S. National Parks Service liaison to the NRGNHA, said that Tom “was a wise man who cared deeply about the heritage values of all of Northern New Mexico. He was a man of courage, compassion, grit and wisdom who will be sorely missed. The NPS is grateful for his great contributions to our mission.”

The publication Land Water People Time is one of Thomas A. Romero’s contributions to the overall mission of cultural advocacy and preservation. He was a prime mover in the realization of LWPT, first as an award-winning film documentary and then the publication. He wrote: “[LWPT] is an educational journey. A national heritage area is a place recognized by Congress for its unique contribution to the American experience. In an NHA, natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography. The Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area is dedicated to developing and sustaining the distinct cultures, values and history of north central New Mexico.”

We recall that, after much formulative groundwork by such cultural advocates as Kathryn Cordova, Juanita Cordova, Mary Mascarenas, Jose Villa and Samuel Delgado, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation creating the NRGNHA on October 12, 2006. Dedicated cultural advocacy volunteers on the Board of Directors have continued the work.

And we now recognize, commend and salute the work and contributions given to the mission and vision of the NRGNHA by the longtime and effective Executive Director Thomas A. Romero, a truly exceptional man in a place like no other.

‘TOM WAS A WISE MAN WHO CARED DEEPLY ABOUT THE HERITAGE VALUES OF ALL OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO,’ RECALLS KARL CORDOVA, U.S. NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE LIAISON TO THE NRGNHA. ‘HE WAS A MAN OF COURAGE, COMPASSION, GRIT AND WISDOM WHO WILL BE SORELY MISSED. THE NPS IS GRATEFUL FOR HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR MISSION.’ BY JOHN T. DENNE