It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Orlando Jess“ Sonny ” Abeyta, 84, who passed away at home, on February 22, 2022, from complications from diabetes, after he had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
Orlando Jess Abeyta, known to his family and friends as Sonny, was born in Trinidad, Colorado, to Jess and Esther Abeyta. He attended Trinidad High School and was very well liked by his friends and teammates. He proudly enlisted in the United States Air Force, when he was 17 years old. He married Ruby Schneider of Trinidad and they had four children, Debbie, Cindy, Steven and Denise. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Sonny worked as a truck driver for Nabisco and Lucky Stores in California and then moved his family back to the Denver area and was a truck driver for King Soopers. He and Ruby later divorced and he married his second wife, Judy, who had two children from her first marriage, Katherine and Robert. After here tired from King Soopers, Sonny and Judy moved to Florida, where he worked as a tour bus driver at Disney World in Orlando Florida. They returned to Colorado, to be close to family, and he worked as a shuttle bus driver for Avis Car Rental at DIA in Denver. After Sonnyʼs final retirement, he and Judy lived in Denver, Trinidad, Pueblo, and came back to the Denver area, with the pull of being close to his kids and their families always being very strong. He loved them all so very much and the family gatherings with him surrounded by everyone who loved him, with him laughing and smiling, are the best memories of all.
Sonny was the best husband and dad he possibly could be and he was a loving grandpa to all of his grandkids. He will be most remembered as a family man who deeply loved spending time with loved ones and friends. He was the oldest of seven siblings and he loved and protected his younger brothers and sisters his whole life and remained very close with them all. He enjoyed sports very much and was one of the best critics/armchair coaches of the games. He was naturally charming and the type of person that was comfortable striking up a conversation with anyone. He had a sense of humor and would make you laugh with his witty oneliners. He also enjoyed music and recently went to the Foreigner and Fleetwood Mac concerts with his son, Steve. They would often call or text each other if a band they liked or a sports event was on TV, to make sure the other was watching. He had these types of special connections with so many relatives and friends and these are the day-to-day moments that we all miss the most.
Sonny is preceded in death by his parents, Jess and Esther Abeyta, the mother of his children, Ruby (Schneider) Avey, baby daughters Debbie and Cindy, brother Max Abeyta, and brothers in law Victor Frenchmore, Jim Gonzales and Bill Gonzales. Left behind to cherish his memory are his wife, Judy (Passarelli) Abeyta, loving children Steve (Cathleen) Abeyta, Denise (Mike) Benes, Katherine (Mike) Kelly, Robert (Pam) Kranzusch; his siblings Shirley (Mel) Shiveley, Kathy Gonzales, Ronald Abeyta, Norma Gonzales, and Mario Abeyta; his grandchildren Shelby Abeyta, Greg (Kacie) Abeyta, Taylor Abeyta, Shauna Minnick, Krista “Lovie” (Stefan) Swango, Devin (Samantha) Swango, Elijah Benes, Eion Kelly, Kira Kranzusch, Mikayla Kranzusch, 9 great grandchildren, 1 soon to be great-great-grandson ; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family and friends.
Viewing will be Tuesday March 29, 2022, at 11:00 am, with Liturgy to follow at 12:00 pm, at Notre Dame Catholic Parish, 2190 S Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80219. Interment will follow at 1:00 pm, at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Staging Area C.
