Evila (Payen) Armijo February 24, 1946 ~ April 28, 2025 (age 79)

The Rosary for Eva Armijo, 79, of Portales will be recited at 9:00 AM, Fri., May 2, 2025 at St. Helen Catholic Church, and will be followed by the Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 AM with Fr. Francisco Carbajal as Celebrant.  Burial will follow in the Portales with the members of the Catholic Daughters serving as honorary pallbearers.

Evila Armijo, known to most as Eva, was born Feb. 24, 1946, in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico to the home of Guadalupe (Navario) and Juan Payen, and passed from this life on the afternoon of April 28, 2025 at her home in Portales.  The family came to the United States when she was a child, and moved to Portales in the mid 1950’s.  On Jan. 16, 1965, she was married to Eddy Armijo.  Mrs. Armijo began working as a Teacher’s Aide at Lindsey School, and eventually enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University.  She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1984, and began teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language in Clovis in the fall.  After a brief time in Clovis, she returned to Portales to teach first at the Portales Junior and eventually at the Portales High School.  She had been retired since 2006.

Mrs. Armijo pioneered the Ballet Folklorico, a Spanish folk dance program in the schools.  Her students performed at various events such as Cinco de Mayo, fiestas and church and community events.  Eva was and active part of the St. Helen Catholic community, singing in the church choir, and as a member of the Catholic Daughters.  She was an accomplished seamstress, sewing clothing for her daughters, as well as doing crocheting.  She and Mr. Armijo enjoyed antiquing and showing their classic car.  Good Friday was an annual tradition at her home with several invited guests for a big meal.

She is survived by Eddy, her husband of just over 60 years; her son and daughter-in-law, Eddy Armijo, Jr. and wife Yvonne of Portales; two daughters and a son-in-law, Sonia Armijo of Portales and Mireya and Gilbert Rojas of El Paso, TX; four grandchildren, Marcua, Andrew and Lorenzo Armijo and Che Ulibarri; four great-grandchildren, Nathaniel, Ariana, Aubrey and Naila Armijo; a brother, Armando Payen of Portales; two sisters, Olga Aldaz and Nina Payen both of Portales; two sisters-in-law, Anita (Mrs. Manuel) Payen and Mary Lou (Mrs. Albert) Payen both of Portales; as well as 47 nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Manuel, Israel and Albert Payen and three sisters, Elfida Gardino, Elva Aranda and Estella Payen Arenivas.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Evila (Payen) Armijo, please visit our floral store.