Candido Mascarenas

On Thanksgiving Day of November 28, 2024, Candido Mascarenas, 93, of Placita, New Mexico passed away peacefully. He now joins his beloved wife, Lucille M. Mascarenas, his son Paul (Ernest) Mascarenas, his two great grandsons Zachary Mascarenas and Alvin Lujan Mascarenas, his parents Juan Bautista Mascarenas and Simonita Sisneros Mascarenas, and all his brothers: Apolonio, Alfonso, Cipriano, and Ambrose; and his sisters: Ophelia and Fabiola, in heaven. Candido leaves behind his remaining children: Irene (Steve), Arnold (Annette), Sylvia, Andrew (Christine), and his son’s (Paul) partner, Rowell; his 8 grandchildren: Nathan (Staci), Carlitos, Matthew (Rachelle), Anthony, Vanessa, Adam (Brigitte), Candace, and Brandi; and 12 great-grandchildren: Isaac, Alyssa, Nevaeh, Justin, Marissa, Andre, Kalev, Matteo, Adrian, Aubriana, Julian, and Amayah; and two great great grandchildren: Azariah & Aurora. 

Candido was born on May 9, 1931. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the United States Army and after basic training, he was assigned to the 34th Infantry Division and was stationed at a military base in Japan. With only two months before he was due to return home, war broke out on the Korean Peninsula. Shortly after, he was captured in 1950 by the North Korean army and became a prisoner of war by the time he was 19. He was held captive for over three years in Korean prison camps and was tortured by the enemy and witnessed many atrocities. His experiences as a prisoner of war are detailed and memorialized in a book titled “Blessed Are the Soldiers”. At the end of the war, he was released but continued to serve our country. Upon his return from Korea, the Penasco, NM community held a welcome home parade and dance in his honor. It was here that he met his wife, Lucille, and they were later married in 1955. Candido left the Army as a Staff Sergeant and received many military ribbons, commendations, and medals. 

By 1965, Candido and Lucille had five children and lived in White Sands, NM, Grants, NM, and Las Vegas, NV. They returned to his hometown of Placita, NM. Candido was a miner welder by trade and worked at the mines in Questa, NM. Candido served his community as a school board member of the Penasco Public Schools. As the School Board President he was instrumental in getting a gymnasium built for the high school. 

On August 27, 2011, Candido was awarded the POW medal of honor at a ceremony in Taos, New Mexico which included proclamations from US Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall. Candido continued to receive additional medals and commendations, until his death. Candido enjoyed singing, playing his guitar, the outdoors, hunting, and especially loved to fish at the river behind his home. He hosted many fish fries. Candido will be missed and we pray that he is now forever in peace and in glory with our Lord.

A Rosary will be held for Candido at 10:30 am on Friday, December 20, 2024 with the Funeral Mass to follow at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 5712 Paradise Blvd. NW, Albuquerque, NM. The burial will be held at the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. on the same day with Military Honors by the United States Army Honor Guard Detail.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate professionals at

Trujillo Family Funeral Home

"Our Family Serving Yours"