David A. Vargas

David Abelino Victoriano (deVargas) Vargas, affectionately known as "Wedo"—a nickname bestowed on him by his four-year-old granddaughter, who could not quite pronounce "Abuelo"—passed away peacefully on June 13 at his home in El Prado, New Mexico. There, in the home he built by hand and shared with his beloved wife, Judy Hine Vargas, for more than forty years, he spent his final days surrounded by the life he had worked so hard to create. Wedo passed away on the birthday of his beloved son, "Little Dave," who preceded him in death.

Wedo entered the world under extraordinary circumstances. He was born in a potato field near Sargents, Colorado, on August 19, 1948, prematurely and not breathing. Family lore tells that his great-grandmother, Florentina "Tita" deVargas, rubbed his tiny back and brought him to life. A few drops of bean broth gave him the strength to survive. That fighting spirit would later define El Amansador—the man, the myth, the legend.

At age 17, with his mother's very reluctant consent, David jumped the draft and joined the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War as a machine gunner and later served as a baker and cook. During his enlistment, the Marine Corps changed his surname from deVargas to Vargas. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, including Camp Flores—a duty station his son-in-law would later share during the Afghanistan War.

At the time, two of his brothers were listed as Missing in Action, and he was determined to find them. Fearing she might lose another son, his mother wrote to her United States senator and pleaded that David not be sent into combat. As a result, he was assigned to Okinawa, Japan, and did not see combat. Though angry about the decision at the time, he later credited his mother's actions with saving his life and remained forever grateful for her intervention.

Following his military service, David attended Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Social Work. He went on to work in the drug and alcohol field in Embudo, with Colfax County, and later with Taos Municipal Schools, where he led the after-school and truancy programs.

David loved his work and had a gift for connecting with young people. Whether through jokes, stories, horse analogies, dogs, or lessons learned from building things with his own hands, he had a way of reaching students where they were. He encouraged young people to stay in school, take responsibility for their choices, and have the courage to stand behind them.

In 1985, David made the decision to stop drinking and never looked back. Having witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of alcoholism on his family and community—including losing his own father to the disease when he was only eight years old—he remained committed to his sobriety for the rest of his life.

David was also a man of deep faith who considered himself a born-again Christian. His faith became an important foundation in his life and remained a source of strength throughout his years of sobriety, his work with others, and later during his long battle with cancer.

Nothing, however, compared to his love of horses.

At thirteen years old, David saved fifty dollars from doing chores and bought his first horse, a black-and-white pinto named Indio. That purchase began a lifelong love affair with horses. From that day forward, horses remained one of the great passions of his life.

An important influence during his early years was his neighbor, lifelong friend, mentor, and surrogate father, Frank Cruz, who taught him how to shoe horses and train them. The lessons David learned from Frank helped shape his lifelong commitment to teaching, mentorship, hard work, and helping others develop confidence in themselves.

A gifted horseman, trainer, teacher, and mentor, David shared his knowledge of horsemanship, gentling, and training with students of all ages and skill levels. Some of his happiest moments were spent teaching others to ride, work with horses, and discover confidence through the bond between horse and rider.

David also had a lifelong love for German Shepherds. He raised many dogs throughout the years and treasured their steady companionship. He especially enjoyed taking them on runs through the mountains, where they could roam beside him in the places he loved most.

He retired from the school system in 2009, but retirement did not slow him down. For the next sixteen years, David devoted himself to his passion project: building a sustainable off-grid homestead in Tres Piedras, complete with barns, corrals, and sweeping panoramic views. He often called family members simply to share how happy he was working on his latest project.

One of his greatest disappointments was not having enough time to pass those lessons on to his youngest granddaughter, Kaedrin.

Even during a long and difficult battle with cancer, David continued showing up for friends, training horses, building culverts, and working on projects for as long as he was able.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judy Hine Vargas; his children, Abel Vargas and his spouse, Miquela Vargas; Lealia "Lea" Nelson and her husband, W. Scott Nelson; and Loucinda Vargas and her longtime partner, T. Ames Austin.

He is also survived by his grandchildren, Alyssa Vargas, Ashley Vargas, Liv Big Leggins, and Kaedrin Sky Nelson; his great-grandson, Keenai Twins; his siblings, Lawrence Vargas, Samuel Vargas, Abby Vargas, and half-siblings Ruby Gonzales and Lupita Miera, and step sibling Sunny Miera.

He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, Robert Vargas, "Little" Lawrence Vargas, Jacob Vargas, Jeffrey Vargas, Rebecca "Becky" Vargas, J. Thad Vargas, Alexia Vargas, Sean Vargas, Jason Vargas, Ronny Hughes, Pamela Vargas, Amanda Vargas, Georgia Vargas, Selena Vargas, Melissa Romero, Jenna Pacheco, and Raul Gonzales; and his great-nieces and great-nephews, Breanna Otero, Christopher Vargas, Mackenzie Vargas, Olivia Vargas, Javier Suazo, Isiah Suazo, Aria Chavez, and London Ward.

He is further survived by many cousins, extended family members, and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Abelino deVargas; his mother, Rebecca Martinez; his son, David "Little Dave" Vargas; his sister, Delhia Vargas; and his brothers, Henry "Charro" Grant and George Vargas; and his Tio Valdimar de herrera who was one of the last surviving warriors of the Baton Death March.

He will be deeply missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, former students, and the many people he mentored, encouraged, and helped throughout his life.

Funeral service will be on Friday June 26, 2026 at 11am in the Evergreen Chapel of DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos, with burial to follow at the DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos-Taos Memorial Gardens. 

The family of David Abelino Victoriano (deVargas) Vargas has entrusted the care of their loved one to the caring staff of DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos. www.devargastaos.com 1-866-657-4019