Louise Irene Trujillo
10/15/1937 ~ 3/13/2020
Louise Trujillo was born on October 15, 1937 in Alamo, Colorado to parents Joe E. and Laura (Hurtado) Trujillo and grew up in Walsenburg, Colorado. She attended St. Mary’s elementary and high school. Following graduation, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force followed by 30 years in civil service at the U.S. Air Force Academy as a lead Procurement Officer in which she was responsible for millions of dollars spent by the U.S Air Force.
Following a medical retirement, Louise enjoyed her time with family and the simple pleasures of praying the rosary, reading, cross stitching, watching 1950s movies and westerns and other television programs that reminded her of happy times. One of her fondest memories was from a friendship she developed with Astronomer and Astrophysicist Carl Sagan while negotiating contracts for the construction of telescope observatories in the U.S. According to Louise, she had to tell him that he should not think in terms of millions and billions and trillions. He had to drop a few zeros. Carl Sagan is known famously for his Cosmos series and he often used the words “millions and billions and trillions” while describing the cosmos.
Although Louise had suffered for years from age related declining health, she died unexpectedly on March 13, 2020 at UC Health – Memorial Central.
Louise is survived by her son, Larry Trujillo of Colorado Springs, Colorado; three sisters, Lorraine Hartung of Savage, Minnesota, Carol Stives of Belmont, New York, and Eileen McMullen of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Louise is preceded in death by her parents, and by sisters Lillian M. Clark and Edna Mae Barry and brother Joe Trujillo.
A Celebration of Life will be held with family and friends at a later date when it is safe for everyone to congregate.
