Family continues honoring engineering legacy
When Felix C. Trujillo, who graduated from NMSU in 1966 with a degree in civil engineering, passed away in 1975, friends and family honored his legacy by establishing a scholarship in his name. When Martin V. Trujillo, nephew of Felix, passed away this past spring, an estate bequest valued at $240 thousand augmented the scholarship that will continue supporting civil engineering students at NMSU for decades to come.
Felix C. Trujillo graduated from NMSU in 1966 with a degree in Civil Engineering and went on to a successful career as an engineer with the NM Department of Transportation. During his years as a student at NMSU, Mr. Trujillo participated in the cooperative education program, an experience that he felt strongly prepared him for the workforce following his graduation. As an employee with the NM Department of Transportation, Felix was highly regarded for his professionalism, patience and commitment to young engineering students who participated in cooperative education programs with the department, a commitment he was very passionate about.
In May, 2008, the scholarship was augmented through an estate bequest following the untimely death of Felix Trujillo’s nephew, Martin V. Trujillo. Martin considered his uncle Felix as a mentor and role model and held him in high esteem. He followed his uncle’s example and earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from NMSU in 1978.
Before he retired in 1997, Martin was employed by various subsidiaries of Kiewit Construction, one of which was Twin Mountain Construction. He worked primarily in New Mexico and Colorado and was project engineer on numerous significant construction jobs, including the Costilla Dam in Amalia, NM, the Denver International Airport, the Downtown Denver Light Rail, Main Street in Roswell, NM and the Southside Water Treatment Plant in Albuquerque.
“Martin was a valued employee for the Kiewit Companies for more than 20 years. Martin began his career estimating construction projects and performing duties as an assistant project engineer on multiple projects. As his abilities grew, we called on him to take the responsibility of digging into the details of very complicated pieces of work or impacted components of a project--Martin was meticulous at getting to the root cause. Martin was instrumental in helping with the Big I contract in Albuquerque, utilizing his depth of knowledge and experience. Martin was a true engineer and shared his wealth of knowledge with other young engineers,” said Gray Kite, area manager for Kiewit New Mexico Co.
Martin was an avid Aggies fan and followed the football program from wherever he lived. He tried to attend any game close to him. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in May 2008. Both Felix and Martin had fond memories of their time at NMSU and this scholarship is a continued memory of them for family, friends and co-workers. Numerous students have benefitted from the Felix C. Trujillo Memorial Scholarship since its inception in 1975. Martin’s generous bequest will expand the scholarship to enable approximately 10 to 15 students each semester to further their study of civil engineering at NMSU.
Martin is survived by his partner, Anne Begley, his parents, C.B. and Mary, and three brothers, Steve, Mike and Jeff. Felix is survived by his wife Elizabeth Trujillo and their son Felix C. Trujillo II and daughter Carol Kushmier.
Linda Fresques
Oct. 29, 2008