46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCE OF THE SENATE UPON THE PASSING OF DR. SABINE ULIBARRI.

WHEREAS, Dr. Sabine Ulibarri, a celebrated New Mexico writer, born in Santa Fe on September 21, 1919, died at the age of eighty-three; and

WHEREAS, he was a pioneer in the field of bilingual books and continued the tradition of Spanish as a literary language in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, he joined the United States army air corps and served from 1942 to 1945 as a ball-turret gunner in a B-17 and was awarded the distinguished flying cross for flying in thirty-five combat missions over Europe; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ulibarri returned to New Mexico and received his bachelor of arts degree in Spanish literature in 1947 and his master of arts degree in 1949, and in 1959 he completed his doctorate in romance languages from the university of California, Los Angeles; and

WHEREAS, as a professor at the university of New Mexico, he taught creative writing for Spanish students and was chair of the department of modern and classical languages from 1971 to 1980; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ulibarri shared his love of literature with his students, and his colleague, Alfred Rodriguez, said that Dr. Ulibarri was one of a few "true Chicano writers"; and

WHEREAS, many of his stories are set in northern New Mexico and follow the lives of singing cowboys, devout penitentes and ghosts, and his short stories, Tierra Amarilla, La Guera and Mi Abuela Fumaba Puros, are considered to be classics; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Ulibarri received numerous awards, including the governor's award for excellence and achievement in literature; and

WHEREAS, his many wonderful stories are a gift to New Mexico, and he leaves a legacy that affirms the value of cultural preservation;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that condolences be expressed on the passing of Dr. Sabine Ulibarri and that his great contribution to the literature of New Mexico and Hispanic culture be recognized; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to Dr. Ulibarri's wife, Connie Ulibarri.