New Mexico teacher and coach Chris Sarmiento succumbed to Covid-19 on Feb. 19, 2021. He taught at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces. Chris was only 33 years old. Photo credit: KVIA-ABC7.

Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Chris Sarmiento, a teacher and coach from Las Cruces, New Mexico, succumbed to the disease on Feb. 19, 2021. He was only 33 years old.

Chris was born on July 17, 1987, in El Paso, Texas. As a young man, he graduated from Jefferson High School in his home town. He earned his Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from University of Texas, El Paso.

Chris taught social studies to sixth and seventh grades at Vista Middle School. The loss of this teacher and coach will be keenly felt among his students and colleagues, asserts school Principal Mike Brewer. “He was one of those teachers that, if you needed something done, he was one of the first ones that would step up,” Brewer recalls. “It’s going to be a big loss for the Vista family.”

Chris was well-known as more than a teacher and coach to his students. He was also a role model and substitute parent. “He wanted to be a father figure for those kids that didn’t have one,” said his widow, Mary Sarmiento. Mentoring young people was a tradition in his family, she explained. “The reason why he taught is because he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps,” she said. She noted that her husband’s grandfather, Tula Irraboli, was a passionate advocate for children. In El Paso, Irraboli worked to help at-risk youth find motivation to succeed in athletics.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Chris also coached the eighth grade football team. He continued his efforts to mentor his young athletes. “He wanted to tell them it was important to be a good athlete, but also a good student,” his wife said.

Prior to teaching in Las Cruces, Sarmiento taught at Anthony High School in Texas, his wife said. He also tutored at Bowie High School in El Paso and completed his student teaching at Brown Middle School.

To read more about Chris Sarmiento, see this obituary.