54° and Clear
Robert “Bob” William Gragido, 81, of Alamogordo, New Mexico closed his eyes and opened them in heaven on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. He was surrounded by his loved ones in his home, which was what he had wanted. Bob was born on December 12, 1944, in Hammond, Indiana to Arthur Gragido and Kathlyn Gilchrist Gragido.
Bob attended Hammond Tech Vocational High School where he played quarterback on the football team, which is where his love of sports began. He entered the United State Air Force at the age of 17, did 2 tours in Vietnam and numerous TDY’s. While stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, he met the love of his life, Manuela “Nellie” Gutierrez, in Alamogordo, New Mexico. They were married on February 2, 1974, and spent the next 52 years together. In 1974, they had their daughter, Andrea, while Bob was stationed in Torrejon, Spain. He and his little family spent 7 years in Spain, before being stationed in Aurora, Colorado. In 1985, Bob retired as a Master Seargent from the Air Force and settled in Alamogordo, New Mexico to be close to Nellie’s family. He did criminal background checks for insurance companies and transferred and delivered medical equipment for a home health company. He also attended New Mexico State University in Alamogordo, New Mexico majoring in Criminal Justice.
Bob was an avid sports fan. Being from Hammond, Indiana, he was close to the Illinois border and quickly became a Chicago sports fan at a young age. He was a super fan of the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Blackhawks. He loved watching sports. Bob loved to work on his house and tend to his yard by decorating it and planting flowers. He was a huge fan of going to Laughlin, Nevada to...you guessed it...bet on sports games. He also loved listening to music, especially R&B oldies. Since Bob was younger, he was a jogger and continued walking daily until his illness. He collected model cars, anything Chicago sports related, and so much more. He loved to read and had what seemed like an entire library in his home. Bob enjoyed spending time with his family and when his granddaughter, Payton, was born, they became 2 peas in a pod, and it remained that way until his passing. It will remain that way forever. It should be noted that Payton was named after Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears, as he passed on his love of Chicago sports teams to his daughter, Andrea. There is so much to say about Bob as a person, but not enough room or time. Let’s just say, he was a great man that served his country with honor. He was proud to be a veteran. Bob was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Death may end an earthly life, but it does not end a relationship. Bob will forever be remembered and loved by his family and his presence will leave a huge hole in their hearts, but they will see him again and until then, they will cherish the memories and live on in his honor.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:7
Bob was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Gragido; his mother, Kathlyn Gilchrist Gragido; his sister, Jean Anable; brothers-in-law, Richard Gutierrez and Manuel Gutierrez, Jr.; mother-in-law, Beatrice Gutierrez; father-in-law, Manuel Gutierrez, Sr.
He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Manuela “Nellie” Gragido; his loving daughter, Andrea Beatrice Gragido; his loving granddaughter, Payton Teresa Gragido Szwaczkowski and her wonderful boyfriend, Isaac Garwood, who he considered a grandson. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Ernest Gutierrez (Jessie); sisters-in-law, Ann Trujillo (Fernando), MaryAnn Hanway (Robert), Darlene Gutierrez (Manuel, Jr.); his Godson, Richard Michael Gutierrez; as well as several nieces and nephews through his marriage to Nellie and a niece and nephews from his older sister, Jean. The family would also like to acknowledge and thank Jamie White for all that he did for the family throughout the years, and to Payton’s father, Joshua Shane Szwaczkowski, who is no longer with us but was always there to help our family when he was here.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date for his friends and family.
