James Dennis Creek, 78

Col. (Ret.) James Dennis Creek, 78, of Las Cruces, N.M., passed away Jan. 19 following a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Jim was born Sept. 18, 1947, in Clovis, N.M., to Laura (McAnally) and Rufus Creek. He and his younger sisters, Pam and Monte, were raised in the family home in House, N.M., where he graduated from House Municipal School in 1965.

He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics. He was the honor graduate of the university’s College of Agriculture and received his military commission through the NMSU ROTC program that same year. In 1980, he earned a master’s degree in International Affairs (Latin America) from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Jim was deployed to Vietnam in 1971, where he served as an analyst and intelligence briefer for the 204th Military Intelligence Detachment, XXIV Corps, in Da Nang. On March 27, 1972, upon returning to the United States, Jim called his family to let them know he would be home in a few days. That evening, his father, Rufus, died unexpectedly—never seeing Jim again, but knowing his son had returned safely from the war. Jim was suddenly thrust into the role of family patriarch, a responsibility he assumed with grace.

Following Vietnam, Jim left active duty but continued his service in the Army Reserves, periodically returning to active duty assignments before retiring in 2001. His career included numerous postings at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., where he served as deputy commandant of the Army Reserve School of Intelligence and, during Operation Desert Storm, as course manager for Imagery Intelligence at the Army Military Intelligence Center.

In the early 1990s, Jim served as chief of the Joint Counterdrug Intelligence Team at the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia and later held the same position at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala.

In his civilian career, Jim held numerous positions in project development, funding management, civil engineering, and related fields, culminating in his service as deputy director and executive director of the State of New Mexico Border Authority. After retiring in 2012, he continued working as a consultant on port-of-entry, border infrastructure, and economic development projects with Mexico.

An avid thoroughbred horse racing fan, Jim could often be found on Saturdays in his box at Sunland Park Racetrack. Sundays were typically spent with a stack of newspapers from across the state and nation.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Pam. He is survived by his wife, Sterilla; stepdaughter Sarah (Eric) Fraticelli; grandchildren Jacob Morris, Austin, Joshua, Micah, and Grace Fraticelli; and his sister, Monte (Ray) Rout, as well as nephew and niece Nathan and Cameron Marlin.

A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions in Jim’s honor may be made to the Pamela Creek Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Children of Military Veterans at New Mexico State University. The family wishes to thank the staff at Desert Peaks Assisted Living for their exceptional care during his final months.