Ben Trujillo to Las Cruces school district: 'You guys need to know that she loved you'

LAS CRUCES – Ben Trujillo said his wife — Karen Trujillo, Las Cruces Public Schools superintendent — was passionate about her work and loved her school district.

"As hard as it was and as hard as she worked, I can tell you that I don't think she felt like she worked a day while she was in this district," he said. "It was her passion and you guys need to know that she loved you guys."

Karen Trujillo died Thursday evening after she was struck by a minivan while walking the family's dogs on Edgewood Drive, right around the corner from the family home.

She leaves behind her husband Ben, a local insurance agent and the girls basketball coach at Hatch Valley High School, and three children who have all graduated from high school — Taralyn, Tim and Tavyn.

Ben spoke publicly for the first time during a news conference Friday at the Las Cruces Public Schools administration building.

"I'm going to try and do my best to get through this. I told my daughters who are here and my son whose driving down from Santa Fe, that I wasn't going to prepare anything because Karen would probably be mad, because she's the best impromptu speaker," he said.

Ben said the family has received an outpouring of support from across the state and even the nation.

More: Sports community remembers Las Cruces Public School superintendent Karen Trujillo

"Kids that she taught 25 years ago and the impact that she had on their lives. It's been special, and all the prayers, I thank you. My kids are going to need them, because it's not going to be easy," he said.

Driver cooperating with police

Las Cruces Police Department spokesperson Dan Trujillo said the man driving the minivan that crashed into Karen Trujillo remained on scene and is cooperating with police.

"The investigation is ongoing. We have not filed any charges," he said. The man's name has not been released to the public.

Dan Trujillo is Ben's cousin.

Through tears, Ben Trujillo asked the community to pray for the driver, because he said he couldn't imagine living with that burden of that.

"Accidents are accidents and they're not panned for. I think the biggest thing is how we react and how we move forward, and Karen, she would want us to move forward," he said.

Loss of a leader

Karen Trujillo, who earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University in 1998. served more than 25 years as an educator, having been a math teacher, principal, professor, researcher, associate dean and state education secretary before her time as superintendent.

School Board President Ray Jaramillo, who also spoke during the news conference, said the LCPS family is devastated at the loss of such a tremendous leader.

"In my conversations with Karen, it was evident that she understood the value of, 'we,' never was it, 'I,' never, 'me,' in our conversations. Dr. Trujillo understood that if we were to craft a vision, it would be all of us," he said.

Jaramillo knew Trujillo for over 20 years. He said she was always prepared.

"She was an architect of cautious plan that addressed the needs of every student, of every educator in the district. Above all, we respected her work ethic," he said.

'She put others before herself'

Doña Ana County Manager Fernando Macias, fighting through tears, called Trujillo's death a significant loss to the community and complemented her handling of the school system amid unprecedented challenges.

"It really is completely tragic since she was successfully leading the Las Cruces Public Schools along with its board through basically a set of extremely unique and significant challenges because of the pandemic. Probably had challenges no other superintendent has had to face," he said.

Macias had known Trujillo for many years.

"She was the math teacher for one of my daughters, in 1993 and certainly my daughter remembers her as someone who made the extra effort. Someone who out of class time gave extra help," Macias said.

In 2006, when Macias was initiated as a district court judge, Trujillo was at his initiation with her parents who were close friends with the Macias family.

MORE: Las Cruces Public Schools to meet Monday to decide next steps after sudden loss of superintendent

"This very beautiful woman in this stunning, white dress, looking so angelic. I've never lost the memory," he said. "Of course as a math teacher, maybe not so angelic, but I want everyone to remember, though however you want to interpret it, she was a woman of strong faith. Her whole family is and in the truest sense, she really was a servant of God, because she put others before herself," he said.

Ben Trujillo said during the news conference that the family would work with NMSU on a way people could support Trujillo's legacy by giving to the Educators Rising program.

Bethany Freudenthal can be reached at bfreudenthal@lcsun-news.com, 575-541-5449 or @bethanyfreuden1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Ben Trujillo to Las Cruces school district: 'You guys need to know that she loved you'

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