Alberto Estrada

It is with great sadness to announce that Alberto “Albert” Estrada, 55, passed away at his home in  Albuquerque, NM on March 30, 2023. He was born in Camaguey, Cuba on February 16, 1968. He was extremely proud of his family heritage and spoke about it often, He loved being a Cuban with deep roots in the country.  When he was just over 2 years old, his family moved to Houston, Texas;  where he attended school and began his career in Retail sales in high school.  He met his former wife, Babette Estrada in 1992, and they married in 1997.  Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and started with humble beginnings. He worked diligently to provide a wonderful life for his family and with his wife, by his side, they built the Mattress Firm franchises together for the State of New Mexico and El Paso, Texas which has become one of the most successful franchises of the Mattress Firm history, which continues today.  In 1999, Babette gives birth to their twin daughters, Danielle, and Gabriella. Albert was a driven young man with a young family, and he worked diligently.   His determination paid off when the firm won Franchisee of the Year 7 times (1992-2023) and the Prestigious 2012 Franchise Outstanding Community Service Award.  He always treated his employees as family and went to extraordinary lengths to take care of their well-being to this day.

LIFE. Albert was full of abundance and love, which he shared with all those around him.  He impacted so many lives with his generous spirit and love for helping others.  He was a very enthusiastic and generous philanthropist. A few of the charities he founded include, “Gone Fishing Foundation, a foundation with the Boys and Girls Club to teach children how to fish”, “Backpacks for Kids, where he provided backpacks and supplies to 2,500 less fortunate children with supplies for their first day of school”, “MDA Fishing Event, where he taught children with Muscular Dystrophy to learn how to catch fish” and “Bikes for Tikes Community Outreach Program, that provided 880 bicycles, helmets and riding lessons for less fortunate children”.  His sponsorships also included many fly-fishing trips for Disabled Veterans and financial support for Kenyan Marathon Runner Solomon Kandee.   His legacy will be conducted by thousands of thankful souls for his love, understanding and generosity.

FUN. Albert was always joking around, he had an amazing sense of humor, however, he was highly competitive (he did not enjoy losing) and was enthusiastic about his sports and hobbies. As a young man, he was a well-rounded athlete and played most sports with more vigor than most. He played his heart out at every game.  He was always youthful and developed a genuine love for the outdoors with many global hunting and fishing trips, while the outdoors was his “go-to”, he also enjoyed coaching soccer, skiing, dirt bike riding, traveling, model building, playing Cuban Dominos, Scrabble, and other board games.  He also had an extreme side like “Dog Fighting in Airplanes over the ocean, surfing waves on the wakes of Oil tankers and Racing Cars on Motor speedway”.  

IRREPLACEABLE.  Everyone in the room would laugh at all his shenanigans and he always welcomed you to be a part of it.  He was so funny, so fun, amazing, caring, and very loving man who took care of all those around him.  He was selfless and put everyone’s interests before his own. He was also driven when he put his mind to do something, whether it be... to build something, oversee something or spearhead something, he would accomplish it and pursue perfection and excellence. He was incredibly supportive of anyone that crossed his path – and those who know him best, are aware that he had the highest expectations for those he loved the most. He was a loud person and would always be too quick to let you know “I’m not loud, I’m Cuban!”  He always made us question ourselves and if we were pushing hard enough or working hard enough, and we did.  He also made us laugh and feel young and silly again.

He is survived by his twin daughters, Danielle and Gabriella Estrada and their mother, Babette Estrada of Albuquerque, NM; his mother, Raisa Estrada of Houston, Texas; older brother, Roberto Estrada and his wife, Mary & children Chloe and Alex of Houston, Texas as well as uncles, aunts, cousins, and many dear friends. He is pre-deceased by his father, Roberto Estrada Sr of Houston, Texas, and both maternal and paternal grandparents.

Family and friends are welcome to attend services for Alberto on April 25, 2023, at 11:00 am at Sangre de Cristo Catholic Church located at 8901 Candelaria Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112 with a reception to immediately follow.