Don Roach of Arroyo de Agua passed away peacefully on August 22, 2011, with four generations of family and close friends present. Don gave the gift of unbridled wonder for the magic and mystery of the world. Fittingly, he spent the end of his life outside under a tin portal, surrounded by things he appreciated deeply: the laughter of his grandsons, bird song, cricket chirp, powerful lightening storms, and the moon’s wax and wane. During his life, Don marveled at the hugeness of the cosmos, and during his passing he was held by an incredible constellation of friends and family whose light shone brightly on him to the end.
Don was an artist and musician, a builder, a voracious reader and researcher, and a traveler to territories unmapped and remote. He chose to live his life deliberately; he pioneered a lifestyle on the land in the pursuit of daily creativity and adventure, seeking beauty, and utilizing every medium he encountered to create form. As his best friend put it:
“Don didn’t just sip – he gulped life.”
Born in New Hampshire, Don moved to Pakistan with his parents at the age of 10, beginning a lifetime of travel and appreciation of local cultures that spanned several continents and dozens of countries. Don attended St. Paul’s School and graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University. He moved to New Mexico in 1970 and homesteaded on Mesa Poleo. He lived and worked in Santa Fe from the mid 70s through the early 90s.
Don savored his final twenty years at Studio Resolana in Arroyo de Agua. There he built his home, planted gardens, and worked the acequias to green fields for his horses. Don’s passion was painting the landscapes of northern New Mexico, especially Studio Resolana, Chama Canyon and Chaco country. He enjoyed winters in Mexico on Tenacatita Bay, where he built two houses and introduced friends and family to the beauty of the tropics.
Don was an artist and musician, a builder, a voracious reader and researcher, and a traveler to territories unmapped and remote. He chose to live his life deliberately; he pioneered a lifestyle on the land in the pursuit of daily creativity and adventure, seeking beauty, and utilizing every medium he encountered to create form. As his best friend put it:
“Don didn’t just sip – he gulped life.”
Born in New Hampshire, Don moved to Pakistan with his parents at the age of 10, beginning a lifetime of travel and appreciation of local cultures that spanned several continents and dozens of countries. Don attended St. Paul’s School and graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University. He moved to New Mexico in 1970 and homesteaded on Mesa Poleo. He lived and worked in Santa Fe from the mid 70s through the early 90s.
Don savored his final twenty years at Studio Resolana in Arroyo de Agua. There he built his home, planted gardens, and worked the acequias to green fields for his horses. Don’s passion was painting the landscapes of northern New Mexico, especially Studio Resolana, Chama Canyon and Chaco country. He enjoyed winters in Mexico on Tenacatita Bay, where he built two houses and introduced friends and family to the beauty of the tropics.
