'A friend for life'
More than 500 celebrate the life of Edward Muñoz

Elizabeth Munoz-Hamilton, daughter of former Gallup Mayor Edward Munoz, hugs and comforts her mother Margaret Munoz during the memorial service for Edward Munoz at the Red Rock Park on Monday afternoon. Edward Munoz died March 1 at his home in Gallup. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — More than 500 friends, family members, supporters and one-time political foes came to Red Rock Park Monday to celebrate the life of former Gallup Mayor Eddie Muñoz.

Muñoz, who died Wednesday at the age of 78, was celebrated by family and friends for his love of people, his generosity and his life which many said had a major affect on the quality of life of all those who came in contact with him.

"He would meet a stranger," his daughter, Elizabeth Muñoz-Hamilton, wrote in a letter that was read, "and within two minutes had a friend for life."

He lived a life making friends and helping anyone who he felt needed his help, whether it be help in trimming their yard or food for their family. He did it, family and friends said, not because he wanted their political support or something in return but only because he was Eddie Muñoz, and that was what he believed he should be doing.

Only a few of the people who spoke at his funeral at Red Rock Park Monday touched on his political career his years as mayor and his efforts to alleviate the problem of alcohol abuse in the community.

Most spoke about his personal life and the fact that for all of his accomplishments, he lived a simple life and enjoyed most being with friends and family.

They talked about hunting, one of the passions he had throughout his life and one he passed on to his sons and grandchildren.

Perry Null, who went quail hunting with him just a couple of weeks before his death, talked about that last hunt. Everything went perfectly and when the two returned, Muñoz spent the next few days visiting friends and telling them about the joys of the hunt.

And although he was still active in business he decided to buy some land in Las Lunas the day he died he also spent a great deal of time in his later years just visiting people.

Muñoz' son, George, talked about the last day of Muñoz' life and how he was sent to the bank a 30-minute task and came back three hours later after talking to city officials, and his friends around city hall.

Later that day, he even made a visit to NCI to talk to his friends there.

He had friends everywhere, and there's probably not a family in this area who has been around for three or more years that he didn't touch in one way or another over the years.

Hershey Miyamura, who would go on to fame as a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, remembered his early days going to war with Muñoz, first in World War II and then the Korean War.

When they returned home, Muñoz went into the gas station business and a few years later Miyamura started his own gas station, and while they were competitors, Miyamura said, they were friendly ones.

While Miyamura enjoyed going fishing with Muñoz, hunting was Muñoz/s passion, and he kept trying to get Miyamura to go hunting with him although Miyamura admitted to him he was a lousy shot.

So they went hunting, Miyamura said, and he was right he was a lousy shot and Muñoz finally realized that, suggesting that his friend take aim at some birds that were sitting on a line, thinking he may have a chance at getting a bird that way.

Some said that his decision to go by and visit friends that last day of his life indicated that he thought this was the last time he would have with them, but others said that this was normal for Muñoz his love of talking to people and remembering the old days or getting caught up in what was happening politically in the town to which he had devoted his life.

His daughter, Kathryn Muñoz-Hush, in a letter read to the audience, remembers talking to him just a little bit before he died, and she remembers asking him how he felt.

The answer just "great" and that was just the way he lived his life enjoying it up until the very moment he died.