Newly appointed UNM Regent Donald H. Salazar, 56, died Friday after a battle with thyroid cancer that had spread throughout his body.
Salazar, who was a lawyer in the Santa Fe law firm of Rubin, Katz, Salazar, Alley, Rouse and Herdman, was appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson to the UNM Board of Regents in January.
"It was very sudden," said Frank Herdman, an associate and friend of Salazar's. "Don was a great guy, he had a great sense of humor and he was committed to his family, the community and the law practice."
Fellow Reg. Maria Griego-Raby described Salazar as a hard-working, intelligent man.
"Interestingly enough, Don didn't let a lot of people know how sick he was," Griego-Raby said. "He seemed to lead everyone to believe that he was just fine."
Griego-Raby added that Salazar was committed to the progress of UNM and very proud of his appointment. She said Salazar was working tirelessly on selecting the most qualified candidate for the next president of UNM.
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"He took his appointment very seriously," Griego-Raby said. "He was a very bright, articulate individual. It is a huge loss for us."
Reg. James Koch agreed, saying that Salazar told him that he would be there through April to help with the presidential search, despite his illness.
"Whenever Donald Salazar did something, he did it right, he did it proper and he did it until he was done," Koch said.
Salazar had said that his main focus as regent would be dealing with the UNM Health Sciences Center and trying to merge UNM's various academic, scientific and commercial components.
"I'd like to lead the effort and advance the various programs at UNM," Salazar said in January. "We need to work hard to carry out the strategic goals that the University has developed."
In a press release issued Saturday, Gov. Richardson expressed his grief and said that the board lost a key member.
"Don Salazar contributed in so many ways to enhancing New Mexico's political, legal and social scene," Richardson said. "Mostly, I will miss a dear friend who gave so much of himself to others. He was an outstanding regent, although he served such a short period of time."
No plans have yet been made to replace Salazar on the board.
Salazar grew up in Albuquerque and worked for his family's business, Salazar and Sons Mortuary. He went on to earn his law degree from the University of California-Berkeley in 1972.
He returned to New Mexico and was a clerk at the New Mexico Supreme Court before joining a private firm. Salazar specialized in administrative and regulatory law.
He is survived by his wife, Bergit, and two children, Paul and Auben. Salazar and his wife had been married for more than 30 years.
Salazar was also a member of several civic groups including the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Santa Fe Economic Development Inc., the United Way and was a member of the First National Bank of Santa Fe Board of Directors. He was also a member of the New Mexico Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association and former president of the 1st Judicial Bar Association.
Services for Salazar will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Francis Cathedral, 275 E Alameda St., in Santa Fe.
