Fred William Ochoa

Fred William Ochoa was born September 8, 1943 in Deming, Luna, New Mexico. He was the son of Steve and Ann (Zumwalt) Ochoa. His two older sisters, Margaret Ann and Barbara Jean welcomed him into the family. He passed away on Wednesday, May 19, 2025 at his home in Woods Cross, Davis, Utah with his wife, Theda Ochoa, beside him.

Fred grew up in Deming. As a young boy, he would help his parents close up their businesses after school. He was always busy working and learning; His first job was at a movie theater running the projector. Working at Danny's service station taught him many skills. As a young man he worked at many different jobs which enabled him to fix almost anything. His family lived in Blue Water and Grants, New Mexico. In Albuquerque, he attended the university.. He joined the Army National Guard and served as MP during the Vietnam War but didn't go to Vietnam..

On October 20, 1963, in Albuquerque, he married Consuelo “Connie” Trujillo. They have three children: Francisco “Pancho” Ochoa, Federico “Fred” Ochoa and Maria Elena Ochoa. They lived in Taos, New Mexico with Connie's mother on the ranch. About 1969, they moved to Los Alamos where Fred was employed at the technology and electronics Los Alamos lab. In 1970, Fred had a terrible car accident which broke his neck and lower back and fractured his jaw. It took over a year for him to recover. Fred and Connie were divorced about 1974. This made it hard for his children because their dad was not around very often. In his later years, he was able to spend time with them and establish a relationship.

While Fred worked for LULAC and worked for the housing project, he lived in San Antonio, Texas and Scottsdale, Arizona. After the death of his father in 1964, his mother married Frank Martinez who worked in the fields near Scottsdale, Arizona selling produce to large canning and produce companies. Fred worked and helped Frank doing this when he had time. Doing this enabled him to spend time with his mother.

Fred moved to Blanding, Utah about 1981 to work at the White Mesa Uranium Mill which decided to have an ambulance on site. The company asked Fred to take the EMT class and that is where he met Theda Harris, one of the EMT instructors. Later, Fred married Theda Marie Harris on August 20, 1982 in the Ogden Temple, Ogden, Weber, Utah. They made their home in Blanding where Theda taught school. Fred worked with the ambulance services in San Juan County, Utah. He also taught the bilingual students at the Monticello High School for a year and for a couple of years at the Monticello Elementary School.

Fred was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 20, 1981. He held many positions in the Ward in Blanding. He and Theda were stake missionaries to the Chinle, Arizona Branch on the Navajo Reservation. When they moved to Woods Cross, he was the employment specialist in the Woods Cross 5th Ward. From January 2024 to January 2025, he served as a missionary at the Employment Specialist at the Centerville Employment Center in the Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission. The scripture he loved was 1 Nephi 3:7 from the Book of Mormon. “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” He loved working and serving with people. He had a testimony of his Savior, Jesus Christ, of the Book of Mormon, and of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Fred lived the first and second commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” and ”Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

In 2000, Theda's mother was injured in a car accident so Fred moved to Salt Lake to be near enough to go to Evanston, Wyoming to help her. When Theda retired in 2003, they lived in Salt Lake City. The ward they were living in asked them to teach an ESL class for people needing to learn English. Three years later they bought their home in Woods Cross, Utah.

At a Bountiful farmer's market, Fred met a Mr. Jones who was making and selling Native American style flutes. He said to Theda, “I can do that.” He contacted Bill Hughes and went to a flute class at the Pioneer Craft House. When the class was over, he stayed and made flutes with Bill. When Bill retired, Fred started teaching flute making classes. Then he moved to his own shop. He taught Jorgen Olson and others the craft. Fred loved going to rendezvous and pow wows and doing shows. He loved the people he met and enjoyed selling his flutes, drums, bows and other crafts.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Ann Ochoa; a niece, Barbie Morales; a son- in-law, Max Sanchez; a brother-in-law, Andy Gardiner; a brother-in-law, Eddie Morales; and his ex-wife, Connie Ochoa.

Surviving him is his wife, Theda Ochoa; his three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren: Pancho and Kyra (Ryan), and children: Isaac, Ana Luz and Celia Paz Ochoa of Santa Fe; Fred and Erin (Lively) of Taos; Maria Elena Sanchez of Taos and two children Angeles and Destiny Sanchez, and their daughter, Amara, and son, Mathias, of Albuquerque; and Indica “Indy” Sanchez of Albuquerque; his two sisters; Margaret Ann Gardiner and children: Mac Toyama and Marleen Graham and families of California; Barbara Jean Morales of Thoreau and children: Jeannie and David Miller of Thoreau; Anna Bennett of Rock Springs, Wyoming; Jerry and Nidia Morales of Houston, Texas and Tina Morales of Thoreau, New Mexico.

The funeral will be held at 11:00 A.M. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center at 2064 South 800 West, Woods Cross, Utah. Prior to the service, there will be a viewing from 9:30 to 10-30. The burial will be about 2:00 P.M. in the Evanston City Cemetery at 526 County Road, Evanston, Wyoming 82930. It is about an hour and a half drive from Woods Cross.

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