The Rosary for Chris Lovato will be recited at 7:30 PM, Friday, April 21, 2017 at St. Helen Catholic Church in Portales. The Mass of the Resurrection for Chris Lovato, 75, of Portales, will be celebrated at 1:00 PM, Sat., April 22, 2017 at St. Helen Catholic Church by Fr. Charles Ugochukwu. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Michael Lovato, Jr., Junior Lovato, John Salazar, James Gomez, Ricky Lovato and K C Fitzwater serving as pallbearers. All family members will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Cristobal Lovato, known to virtually everyone as “Chris,” was born April 3, 1942 in Villanueva, NM to the home of Rita (Saiz) and Delfinio Lovato and died April 19, 2017 in Lubbock, TX. At the age of five, his family moved west of Floyd, and he began school in Floyd. When he was twelve years old, the family moved to Portales, and Chris began training race horses for Dr. Monroe. He trained horses for the next 15 years, raising numerous big winners. At the age of 27, he began driving trucks. Through the years he drove at various times for Selected Casings, Valley Concrete and Southwest Canners. He retired in 2012 at the age of 70.
Chris was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church. On Feb. 9, 1960, he was married to Priscilla Garcia. Chris was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. His family was extremely important to him. He took his family to the lake numerous times every year while they were growing up. The family enjoyed playing horseshoes at the countless big family gatherings each year. Chris also liked watching westerns on television.
He is survived by Priscilla, his wife of 56 years; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Michael and Angelia Lovato and Arthur Lovato of Portales; three daughters, Bernadine Lovato and wife, Celia Ramirez of Ft. Worth, TX, and Christine Brandenburg and husband, Jay and Phoebe Gomez and husband, Liborio of Portales; 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Frank Lovato of PA and Cipriano Lovato of Portales; and four sisters, Vitalia Garcia and Patsy Smeal both of Portales and Feliz Simpkins of Wilderado, TX and Grace Peterson of Vega, TX. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Paul Lovato, a granddaughter, Kacee Lovato and grandson, Seth Brandenburg.