Frederico Cota, Jr.

Mass of the Resurrection for Frederico Cota, Jr., 77, of Portales will be celebrated by Fr. Francisco Carbajal at 10:00 AM, Mon., May 9, 2022 at St. Helen Catholic Church.  The Rosary will be recited preceding the mass at 9:00 AM.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Frederico Cota III, Cedric Cota, Adrian Cota, Gabriel Cota, Isaac Cota and Nathan Cota serving as pallbearers.  Charlie Aragon, Christopher Pacheco, Kenneth Hammond, David Torres and Ron Britton have been named as honorary pallbearers.

Frederico Cota, Jr. was born Mar. 29, 1945 in Artesia, NM to the home of Alta Gracia (Saiz) and Frederico Cota, and died early on the morning of May 3, 2022 in Portales.  Mr. Cota was a 1963 graduate of Artesia High School.  Following graduation, he joined the U. S. Navy where he served aboard the USS Chicago as a corpsman off the coast of Vietnam.  After his discharge, he went on to be trained as an LPN, and worked in the Emergency Room at the Artesia hospital.

On Mar. 20, 1971 in Dexter, NM he was married to Maria Rosa “Lupe” Romero.  Mr. Cota earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from ENMU in 1977, and a Master’s Degree in 1978.  He went to work at Mental Health Resources as a counselor, and eventually was promoted to Director.  In 2003, he suffered a stroke, and had been unable to work since that time.

He was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing when he was able.  For relaxation he liked to play pool and work in his garden and yard.  He was a joyful man who enjoyed comedy shows on television and just laughing, sometimes just to laugh.

He is survived by Lupe, his wife of more than 51 years; four sons, Frederico Jose Cota III and wife, Ruth of Albuquerque, NM, Cedric Cota and wife, Maribel of Portales, Adrian Cota and companion, Barbara Gomez-White of Santa Rosa, NM and Gabriel Cota and wife, Geraldine of Portales; a daughter, Rosemary Hammond and husband, Kenneth of Portales; seven grandchildren, Bethany, Emily, Nathan, Isaac, Juliana, Isabella and Daniella Cota; a brother, Luis Cota of Loveland, CO; a sister, Rosie Anholt of Washington, DC; and his beloved dog, Milo.  He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Seledonio and Frutoso Cota and two sisters, Lupe Rodriguez and Irene Ochoa.

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