Louis Ochoa, 67, died Friday, February 3, at his home in Bazine, Kans., after a brief battle with cancer.
He was born January 6, 1956, in Levelland, Texas, the son of Frank and Rebecca (Dominguez) Ochoa.
Louis moved to Ulysses in 1967, and attended Ulysses Public Schools.
He worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation in the Ulysses area, working his way from shovel to superintendent.
He moved to Bazine in 2000, where he married Deb Wilken.
Louis worked for Ness City Farm and Feed for 14 years. He was the go-to guy for everything from lumber to interpreting for the Spanish-speaking population.
He loved all music, building things, fishing, and recently being a backyard farmer.
Survivors include his wife, Deb, of the home; two sons: Louie Ochoa (Allison), Hays, Kans., and Casey Ochoa, Lawrence, Kan.; God-daughter Frankie Westover Reed (Shaun), Piedmont, Okla.; seven grandchildren: Nathan, Gianna, and Andrew Ochoa, all of Hays, Logan, Camilla, and Isabella Ochoa, all of Lawrence, and Gavin Ochoa (Samantha) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; brothers: Rudy Ochoa (Emma), Odessa, Texas, Richard Ochoa, Jim Ochoa, Eddie Ochoa (Tina), and Tony Ochoa, all of Ulysses; sisters: Mary Perez (Eloy), and Sandra Westover (Mark), all of Ulysses; and Rebecca Reyes (Cheno), Garden City, Kan., as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Frank Ochoa Jr.; a step-daughter, Briana Wilken; and a grandson, Antonio Ochoa.
Pictures of Louis' life will be displayed and a guest book will be available from 9 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., today, Thursday, February 9, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., all at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 207 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Ness City, Kans.
Memorials are suggested to Ness City Cub Scouts and Boy Scout Troop #131, and may be sent in care of the funeral home.
