Obituaries

Samuel Curtis "Curt" Hardcastle, 74, of Silver City, New Mexico, hung up his tools and took his well-earned rest on November 6, 2025. Born June 23, 1951, he lived the kind of life you could set your watch by: honest, hard-working, and full of heart.

Curt grew up between California and Missouri, raised by his grandparents, Samuel Hobart Hardcastle and Effie Mae Sanders Hardcastle. They taught him the good stuff early: work hard, keep your word, and take care of your own & others. He did all these, every single day.

While in Missouri, he met a girl named Lark, thanks to her best friend, who clearly knew what she was doing. They married, built a life together in Missouri, chased warmer weather to Arizona, and eventually settled in Silver City, New Mexico. For nearly 51 years they were partners in life and love, and in long-range shooting, where Lark was his trusted spotter, calling the wind and sharing the aim.

Curt started tinkering with firearms back in the 1970s while working as a machinist to keep his family fed and his projects running. A hobby turned into a calling, and Hardcastle Custom Handguns was born, later growing into Hardcastle Custom Machine. After moving to Arizona, Curt caught the single-shot rifle bug and never looked back. Competitive shooting sparked his passion for bringing old rifles back to life, and soon he was known as a highly regarded gunsmith who did things the old-fashioned way, by the honor system.

Catalina "Katie" Lopez-Kincheloe, 88, a resident of Silver City, NM entered eternal rest Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at her residence surrounded by her family.  Arrangements are pending with Terrazas Funeral Chapels ~ 575-537-0777.

Janice A. Swinney, 73, died peacefully October 18, 2025, in Albuquerque, NM. She was born January 9, 1952, in Parsons, KS to John "Mike" Baird and Lois (Walker) Baird Westall.

On June 12, 1993, Janice married Gorman "Ray" Swinney at the Church of Christ in Grants, NM. Together, they shared a life of love for the Lord, their children, and grandchildren. Janice is survived by her daughter, Stacy Kuhn (Alex) of Rio Rancho, NM and stepson, Grant Swinney (Amber) of Deming, NM; and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray Swinney, her parents, and her brothers - Stephen R. Baird and Jay L. Baird.

Janice was cherished by all who knew her as a loving spouse, a devoted mother and grandmother, and a caring friend. Her deep affection for her family was evident in the time she spent with her grandchildren, whether engaging in lively board games or simply sitting together on the porch talking and sharing laughter for hours. These meaningful moments reflected her warm and nurturing spirit.

Janice's genuine love for children naturally guided her toward a career in education, where she embraced her calling as a teacher and made a lasting difference in the lives of those she taught.

Raul H. Medina, 70, of Alamo passed away on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Albuquerque.  Services are pending.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raul Hill Medina, please visit our floral store.

Lilia G. Aguilar, 91, Deming resident passed away Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at her residence.

Visitation will take place Friday, November 14, 2025 at 9 o'clock in the morning at Baca's Funeral Chapel, with the recitation of the rosary at 10:30 in the morning, with the mass of the Christian Burial at 11:30 in the morning at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Internment to follow at Mountain View Cemetery with Fr. Tony Basso officiating.

Lilia was born to Selsa Parra and Vicente Galindo on February 26, 1934 in Deming. She was the eldest of nine siblings. She is survived by three brothers; Arturo, Vicente & Alfredo Galindo, one sister; Erlinda Galindo.

Pallbearers will be: Vince Galindo, Adam Galindo, Turito Galindo, David Alcorta, Jimmy Galindo & Adrian Baltazar.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lilia Galindo (Galindo) Aguilar, please visit our floral store.

Charlie Ross Corliss, 67, of Silver City, New Mexico, passed away on October 22, 2025, just two days shy of his 68th birthday. Born on October 24, 1957, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Charlie lived a life defined by hard work, loyalty, and a deep love for the people and places he called home.

Charlie attended Mountainair High School before beginning a long and dedicated career with Kennecott, Phelps Dodge, Freeport-McMoran, and the Grant County Road Department. Through decades of labor, he built a reputation as a man of integrity and perseverance—someone who could always be counted on to get the job done.

Joel Charles Hannig, 76, a resident of Silver City, NM entered eternal rest Thursday, October 30, 2025.  He was born January 4, 1949 in Valley City, ND to Harry Hannig and Lucille Ertelt.

Joel had an eventful life- a life filled with vintage cars and motorsports. He enjoyed travelling to events throughout the country with his beloved wife Diane, meeting other car enthusiasts, and collecting mass quantities of firewood. He died doing what he loved: exploring remote and scenic mountain roads.  He will be remembered for his various hobbies and by the multitude of people that called him friend.

He is survived by his wife, Diane Hannig of the family home; his son, Steven Hannig of San Luis Obispo, CA; five stepchildren, Andrew, Catherine, Dean, Kenneth, and Laura; three brothers, Lyman Hannig, Jon Hannig, and Jeff Hannig; two sisters, Teresa and Eileen Hannig; numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 11th at 11am at St. Francis Newman Center with Father Ephraim Ezulike officiating.  He will be laid to rest in North Dakota.

Estella Borrego Dean entered eternal rest on November 1, 2025, at Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara, New Mexico, surrounded by her loving family.

Born January 14, 1952, in Silver City, New Mexico, to Feliciano and Elvira Parra Borrego. Estella met the love of her life, Freddie Dean. Their lifelong love cherished three sons and a daughter, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  Together they built a life full of wonderful memories that touched the hearts of many.  Estella joined the Job Corps to experience hands-on training and to build a path to her future.  She became a homemaker sharing love, wisdom and laughter.  She loved cooking for everyone, especially her favorite dish, Red Enchiladas.  As much as she loved the world, she had a special bond with small dogs.  She raised and rescued many of them to give her little paw friends a second chance.  In her heart, no dog was left behind.  She understood that her paw friends were not her whole life, but they made her life whole.  She will be truly missed by every life she touched.