Miguel D. "Mike" Encinas

Miguel D. “Mike” Encinas, 89, known lovingly as Papa, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, brother dad, uncle Mike, Mr. E, and Papa Smurf, returned to his heavenly home with our Lord and Savior on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at his Ordway home. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and the love of his life, Christine, by his side. He was born on February 19, 1933, in Florence, Arizona to David Encinas & Dalia Celaya.

He was the first of seven born to Dalia, brothers, Pat, Alvin, Louie and Art, two sisters, Hortensia and Rose Mary. Mike graduated from Fowler High School, class of 1951. Following graduation, he was drafted and proudly served our country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Before leaving for Korea, Mike married his high school sweetheart, Christine Gonzales in Ordway, CO. They celebrated 70 years of marriage in September. Upon an honorable discharge from the Eighth Army, Mike used the GI Bill to attend Arizona State University where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Education.

He later went on to pursue a master's in history and a Masters in Guidance Counseling. While in Arizona, Mike taught school at Maricopa Elementary and Maricopa High School before moving back to Colorado where he was a Guidance Counselor at Eagle Valley High School and later Rocky Ford Middle School. After retirement, his love for teaching continued as he substituted in the surrounding schools for many years.

Mike was a devout Catholic and parishioner at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, a loyal member and former Commander of the VFW Post No. 336 of Ordway, a member of the Knights of Columbus receiving Honors of the First Degree, a member of the American Legion, and was most recently honored with the Quilt of Valor in 2021. Mike earned a barber’s license after high school that served as supplemental income earlier in life, however, over the years he became known for giving the best haircuts in town to family and friends.

He loved Mariachi music, dancing with his wife, and enjoyed vacationing on cruise ships. Mike was an avid sports lover and Bronco Fan, and quite the athlete playing basketball, baseball, and football in his younger years. He loved the mountains and spent time working for the Forest Service during the summers in the early 70’s. Mike also enjoyed hunting and fishing, especially with his son-in-law and grandsons, was the best spoon playing musician ever, would always make you laugh with the best jokes, and looked forward to watching the live-stream games of his great-granddaughters playing volleyball on his iPad every weekend. Quite the high-tech individual, Mike enjoyed scrolling through his Facebook feeds and had his regular weekly schedule of calling every contact in his cell phone to check on his family.

He will be forever remembered by his beloved wife Christine; daughters, Cathy (Curtis) Miller, and Becci Korinek; grandchildren, who were his pride and joy, Michelle Miller (David Lovato), Brandy (Tom) Printz, Jacob (Beth) Korinek and Greg Korinek (Brandy Burgess); great-grandchildren, Alexis, Madison, Natalee, Sydnie, Sadie, Ryan, Luke, Sadie, Jackson, Camille, and Olivia. Mike will be lovingly remembered by his brothers, Alvin (Yolanda) True, Arthur (Linda) True, and Louie (Vickie) True, in-laws, many cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather, Harry True, sisters, Hortensia (Machi) Flores and Rose Mary, and brother, Pat True.

Miguel D. Encinas will forever be remembered as extremely humble, kind, and loving.

Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Ordway with Father Joel Lasutaz officiating. Interment will follow at Lakeview Cemetery in Sugar City. Visitation will be Tuesday, December 20, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Peacock Memorial Chapel in La Junta.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in honor of "Mike Encinas" to Arkansas Valley Hospice (www.arkvalleyhospice.org) or Honor Flight (flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails).

Arkansas Valley Hospice was amazing in caring for our Papa and we are forever grateful for their support. Honor Flight allowed Mike to connect with other Korean War veterans and helped him to find some closure when his grandson Jacob traveled with him to Washington DC in 2019, something that they both cherished.

Online condolences may be made at www.PeacockFH.com. Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.