Patrick Watts-Puerto

"If you are going to do something, make sure you do it out of love"

On June the 3rd, 2016, Patrick Aaron Watts-Puerto was called home to eternal rest after 35 years of life. Patrick was the son of Debra Watts and William Richards Sr. born January 1st, 1981. He was often referred to in his younger years as Baby New Year. Patrick grew up in Ignacio, Colorado and he attended the Ignacio schools. This is where he completed his high school education. He moved to Albuquerque, NM to further his education and attend college. Patrick moved several times throughout his life, from Albuquerque to Washington D.C. then on to Texas where he attended The Paul Mitchell Beauty School in Dallas. Dallas was his second home; this is where he would live for several years excelling in his profession "doing hair" as a stylist. Patrick was creative by nature and extremely talented enabling him to accomplish anything he set his mind to. When his mom was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Disease, Patrick packed up and came home to be with family. He would spend a few years home before moving to Las Vegas, NV where he planned to attend fashion school as he loved fashion. In his childhood years, Patrick would always be found spending time with his grandparents, Max and Ellen Watts. He would love spending his days helping his grandma tend her garden and one particular time while his grandma was teaching him how to weed the garden, Patrick up rooted all the vegetables instead of the weeds. But his grandma Ellen didn't get upset with him. Patrick tried to correct his mistake by proclaiming he would fix everything by putting the vegetables back into the ground and "make 'em grow again." Needless to say, they went without any vegetables that year. As a young boy he loved riding horses and wearing cowboy boots his grandma Ellen bought him. That day he deemed himself an official cowboy with his new boots. Patrick was the eldest of his moms children, he grew up with three siblings; Lorena, Corri, and Terence. Patrick was a Sundancer and traditional in his Ute culture. He loved making beautiful beadwork for his sister Lorena's children Joseph, D'Vondra, and Marquise, along with all their traditional Ute regalia. His two nephews and niece were the apple of his eye and he dearly loved spending time with them. He never turned down an opportunity to spend time with them and he loved teaching them what it meant to be Ute and the cultural values he learned as a child. Patrick also loved spending time with his mom and often bought her flowers "just because." Patrick was many things to his family but his humor is what made him stand out in a crowd of hundreds. He could make anyone laugh with his crazy sense of humor, amazing personality and contagious smile. He had a way of quoting his favorite funny movies that got everyone laughing. He loved to laugh and was definitely the life of the party. He had the handwriting of an angel, beautiful and elegant. Patrick loved to watch the sunrise, either it be him waking up for the day or barely going to bed, he loved to be free without restraints and loved traveling with his sister Lorena. He loved music and made no quarrels about singing or dancing where ever he was or who he was with. "He had a lifelong love affair with delicious sweets but strawberry shortcakes and chocolate cupcakes with the white fillings were his favorite, " said his nephew Joseph. "He would never age but instead get younger with time, going from the oldest to the youngest of us siblings finally deciding that age 19 best suited him," added his brother Corri. Patrick worked throughout his life from a very young age with the Southern Ute Youth Employment program, the Pino Nuche Restaurant, the KSUT Radio Station and the SunUte Community Center as a life guard. Patrick is survived by his mother Debra Watts, his sister Lorena Richards, his brothers Corri Watts-Chase and Terence Whyte, his nephews Joseph Garcia and Marquise Javier, his nieces D'Vondra Colleen Garcia and Autumn and Sage Medicine Blanket, and one great nephew Ezekiel Silva De Torres all of Ignacio Colorado. He is also survived by his half siblings Natalie Richards, William Richards Jr, and Ray Richards all of Ignacio, Colorado. He is proceeded in death by his father William L. Richards Sr., his grandparents Max and Ellen Watts, his uncle Corey Dean Watts and his aunt Billie Mae Frost, and his grandma Lula S. Baker.

Services for Patrick will be held Thursday, June 16, 2016 at the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Chapel. A Recitation of the Rosary will be held at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m.