With grateful hearts, we honor the life of Elias Neffie Quintana Sr., who went home to be with the Lord on December 25, 2025, in Texas, where he spent his final chapter surrounded by love and care.

Elias was born in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, to Alberto and Ignacita Quintana. From a young age, he carried a quiet strength, resilience, and determination that guided every season of his life.

At the age of 18, he was drafted into the United States Army, serving honorably during World War II with the 88th Infantry Division, and later again during the Korean War. His military service reflected a lifelong commitment to courage, duty, and faith.

After returning home, Elias served as a police officer in New Mexico, carrying out his work with integrity and compassion. He later devoted more than twenty years to education, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of New Mexico. When asked why he chose teaching, he would say, “I decided I could do better by teaching them. I felt better about it.”

Elias was also a career boxer and a respected boxing judge, officiating more than thirty world title fights, including the historic Holyfield vs. Qawi fight in 1986. His dedication to the sport earned him induction into both the New Mexico Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame.

In 1947, Elias married his high school sweetheart, Gloria Marie Vouterin of El Rito. Together, they shared sixty-one years of marriage until her passing. Their life was built on perseverance, faith, and devotion. They raised seven children and lovingly adopted their granddaughter, welcoming her as their own. Life was not always easy, but their shared commitment carried them through every season.

Faith remained the foundation of Elias’s life. For ten years, he traveled to the Philippines on his birthday each year as a missionary, teaching English to orphans and sharing the Word of God with humility and love. He also participated in missionary work in Honduras and South Africa.

Every morning before breakfast, Elias faithfully read his Bible in his room, beginning each day grounded in prayer, scripture, and gratitude. Every Sunday, he worshiped by watching Sagebrush Church services, his Bible close and his heart open.

Elias’s life was defined by service to his country, his family, and his faith. In recognition of his honorable military service, Elias Neffie Quintana Sr. was laid to rest with full military honors, a final tribute befitting a man who served with courage and lived with quiet strength.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Gloria Marie Quintana; his parents, Alberto and Ignacita Quintana; his sons Kenny and Johnny Quintana; and his seven brothers and one sister.