Antonio Jose Mirabal Jr.

                                      Another of Our Greatest Generation has passed.

                              Antonio Jose Mirabal Jr.   May 12, 1925 – January 3, 2021

     It is with great sadness that the family of Antonio Jose Mirabal Jr. announces his passing on Sunday, January 3, 2021 due to complications of Covid 19. Although he lived a long life of 95 years he was healthy for his age until contracting the virus and the pneumonia which led to his eventual death. He could have lived many more years.Tony lived a life of faith in God, commitment to his family, deep principal, great ambition and common sense. Tony’s life was one of great accomplishment for a man with only a ninth grade education although he did earn his GED in later years.  As a two year old infant he had an accident with a pair of scissors and lost his right eye.

     Tony was born to Antonio Sr. and Ramona Mirabal, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Albuquerque High School and Mountainair High School and dropped out in 1939 at age 15.  Antonio Sr. was an auto mechanic and Tony worked with his Dad at various times as they moved from Albuquerque to Willard, NM, then Mountainair and then to Barstow, CA. He always considered Mountainair his hometown because his parents were originally from the area and Mountainair was where he met the love of his life, Adelaida (Della) Esquibel. Tony was a horseman and during his years before World War II he competed in Rodeos throughout the area with his horse Midnight.

     Despite his vision limitations Tony enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943.  He was assigned to the 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division.  He bravely fought the enemy in the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Leyte and Luzon as well as in New Guinea  until their liberation in 1944.  He later helped occupy Japan after the Japanese surrender to the Allied Forces.

After WWII Tony returned to his home town and proposed to and married Della.  Together through the years they raised a family of 9 children.

     In the late 1940’s Tony moved Della and two infant sons to Mexico City and worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Mexican American Commission for the Eradication of Hoof and Mouth Disease.  The program sent bilingual inspectors and veterinarians to educate Mexican cattle ranchers on how to eradicate the disease.  He traveled by horseback with vaccination teams, local cowboys and Mexican soldiers throughout central Mexico in the eradication of the disease.

     Once settling in Albuquerque in 1958 Tony began working as a welder for the United States Bureau of Reclamation.  In his early tenure he experienced and witnessed the poor working conditions and pay levels of USBR workers.  Out of concern for those conditions he became an advocate and organizer which resulted in the establishment of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Lodge 1420 in Albuquerque. The union was soon chartered by the AFL-CIO.  Tony’s organizational skills were recognized by the leadership of the AFL-CIO and was asked to assist by educating labor groups in other states to organize their own unions.

His acquaintance with NM Senator Joseph M. Montoya led to a meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson who commended Tony for his organizational work.  Tony worked tirelessly to improve working conditions for AFGE members of Lodge 1420 as well as non-union workers and many of those benefits continue to this day.

Tony’s leadership skills did not go unnoticed by USBR management and when the job of Superintendent of the New Mexico Southern District opened up, Tony applied and was selected due to his knowledge and leadership skills.  In his position Tony oversaw complex projects and led his workforce which included many college educated engineers who followed his direction with devotion.  His work and imagination to upgrade irrigation and channelization systems along the Rio Grande    contributed greatly in improving agriculture in New Mexico to what it is today.  Tony retired as Superintendent in 1981 after 24 years with the Bureau and 33 years of civil service.  Tony is remembered fondly by the farmers and ranchers throughout central and southern New Mexico.

Tony was an avid and life-long LA Dodger fan.  When, after 32 years of watching and waiting, the Dodgers finally won the World Series in 2020 and Tony celebrated the win with his two year old great- grandson Kruzie Salas...the newest Dodger fan of the family.  It seems only fitting that we lost legendary Dodger Manager Tommy Lasorda in the same week we lost Tony.

Antonio was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Della, in 2012 and is survived by his nine children:  Ruben and wife Vicki, Alberto, Santiago and wife Loretta, Michael and wife Cathy, Teresa and husband Ron Rice, Susan and husband Gilbert Gonzalez, Clair and husband Mike Sarracino, Lawrence and Edwin.  He is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 17 great- grandchildren.

Goodbye Tony...you will remain in our hearts until we’re gone.  We love you.

Cremation of Antonio’s remains have already occurred by his request and burial services and celebration of his life will be held after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted to allow his friends, relatives and family to attend.  Announcement will occur at the appropriate time.

The Mirabal Family asks that in lieu of flowers you donate to the Disabled American Veterans in Antonio’s name (dav.org/albuquerque) 

If unable to donate please perform an act of kindness to someone in need in his name.