Manuel Antonio Goodnoe

On June 26, 2026, Manuel Antonio Goodnoe died at home in Las Cruces. He was 88. Born on November 24, 1937, with Mexican-American roots that shaped the table more than the flag. He learned early that a day is something you finish, not something you wait for. He led sheds that turned fields into something kitchens could trust. A roasting shed paddle chalked decided what left for markets. Colleagues still mention a roasting shed paddle chalked. He married Maria in 1959. They kept a house that stayed modest when the neighborhood did not. They raised a daughter and two sons through public schools and ordinary weather. After Maria died in 2019, he kept the routines that still made sense: the walk, the garden, the Sunday call. Neighbors remember someone who swept the sidewalk past the property line when weather had been unfair. He preferred the hour before a town fully wakes. Las Cruces was home enough that he never rehearsed an introduction. The recipe card is still stained in the useful places.