Thelma M. Sice-Romero

Thelma M. Sice-Romero passed away surrounded by love on Friday, November 7, 2025.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 35 years Anthony J. Romero.

Thelma is survived by sons: John Romero, Vincent Romero, Anthony Romero; daughters: Katherine Ramirez, Bernadette Serrano, MaryAnn Romero, and Christine Padilla.

Thelma was born in Wingate, New Mexico, and moved to the Roundhouse Village in Gallup, New Mexico, where her mother, Genevieve Foster of the Navajo nation, met her father, Roy Sice, Jr. of the Pueblo of Laguna. With eight children, they frequented the Pueblo of Laguna very often and Keres became her first language. She grew up helping her older brothers plant and harvest in Paraje village every summer and fall between school semesters as well the sheep herding farm.

She met Anthony "Tony" through her brothers because they played high school sports against each other. Anthony at Gallup High and Thelma at Cathedral. She herself was athletic, playing basketball and softball. As she got older, she helped the family by working as a soda jerk at a local dime store. When she and Anthony decided to get married, they moved to Santa Fe where she worked at the capital building and started their family. John and Vincent, 11 months apart. Then after a year, a move to Albuquerque and five more children, all in a one bedroom apartment. Work became better as a key punch-card operator supervisor, then in a Credit Union and eventually landing as the office manger of the Immaculate Conception Church for over 30 years. She often told us boys that she didn’t just type really fast, but was able to teach dad how to fix an electric iron.

Mom also taught us to feed anyone and everyone who came to the door. She and dad volunteered at the same church throughout the years because of their unshakable faith in the Catholic Church. Dad, in St Vincent DePaul and she in the Catholic Daughters of America and pre-Cana classes (marriage preparation course) and Cub Scouts and Brownies and Girl Scouts as well as a coach for the St Mary’s Roadrunner Basketball league and a Native American Bowling league. They were really busy. We all credit mom with passing on the love of reading and art and exploring other languages and cultures. She spoke Latin with the priests until she retired. Thelma, as many of us know, she was a strong willed, opinionated, smart, very well read and one of the most kind hearted, generous persons in the world.

Thelma's Life Celebration will begin with a Rosary to be recited on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 9:00am at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church located at 619 Copper Ave NW., 87102. Mass will begin at 9:30am. Thelma will be laid to rest following the Mass at Mount Calvary Cemetery located at 1900 Edith Blvd. NE, 87102.