Legislator Honored At Capitol

Fabián Chávez was remembered Wednesday as a dedicated, fearless public servant who touched many New Mexicans’ lives and left an enduring legacy.

Current and former legislators and lobbyists, sitting and retired judges, and longtime friends and family members were among those gathered at the state Capitol to honor Chávez, who died Sunday at 88.

Former Gov. Jerry Apodaca, a Democrat for whom Chávez worked as state tourism and economic development director, remembered him as a friend and an “absolutely wonderful person.”

Chávez, a Democrat, was a member of the state House and the majority leader of the state Senate — the youngest person, and the first Hispanic, to hold that position, the crowd was told.

“That man served the people of New Mexico first … changed things because he knew it had to be done,” said Sen. Stuart Ingle of Portales, the current Republican leader in the state Senate.

Chávez was elected to the state House in 1950 and to the Senate in 1956, where he became majority leader in 1961 at age 37.

He was praised for taking on, and reforming, the corrupt justice of the peace system — replacing them with magistrates — and for standing up to powerful liquor interests in order to reform liquor control laws.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, likened him to Don Quixote, fighting windmills. The difference, Sanchez said: Fabián Chávez won.

“He did it with pride, he did it with integrity, he did it with honor,” Sanchez said.

Also honored at the service: Chávez’s unrealized dream of being governor. He was the Democratic nominee in 1968, only to lose narrowly to Republican David Cargo.

Apodaca said he would have been a “fabulous governor,” a sentiment echoed by other speakers.

Chávez remained interested in government and politics and continued to visit the Capitol over the years. He served on the Public Employees Retirement Board — “and when Fabián spoke, we all listened,” said Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela, D-Santa Fe.

“He was always here and always working hard for the state of New Mexico,” said Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces.

House Speaker Ken Martinez, D-Grants, recalled that Chávez mentored not only him, but his father, the late Walter K. Martinez, who also was speaker of the House.

Martinez said Chávez would always dispense “really friendly, fatherly advice” when the older man stopped by his office.

“I missed his visit this year,” said Martinez, who was just installed as speaker last week. “I know he would have been the first one into my office to talk about the new position.”

Chávez also was praised for his role in establishing the medical school at the University of New Mexico.

“Fabián had natural leadership skills … and he knew how to use them,” said his biographer, David Roybal, who wrote “Taking on Giants” with Chávez.

Roybal described Chávez as “a political nerd” from the time he was a youngster.

Chávez was an aggressive proponent of civil rights and an advocate for making the Legislature more efficient and accountable and for finding a better system for investing state money, Roybal said. His positions sometimes put him at odds with the Democratic party bosses, the biographer said.

And Roybal said Chávez “adored” his late wife, Coral Jeanne, who died in 2006, and their daughter, Christie, who attended Wednesday’s service.

That is what Chávez would most want to be remembered for, Roybal said.