Victor R. Ortega, former United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico
and founding member of NAFUSA, died after a short illness on May 17, 2024,
in Corrales, NM. He was 91.

Victor, whose grandfather was a signer of the New Mexico Constitution, was
born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He attended Harvard University on
scholarship, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in applied physics in
1954. After graduation he was employed as a systems engineer on the Navajo
Guided Missile project until he was drafted for service in the U.S. Army. While
in the Army he graduated from the U.S. Army Guided Missile School at Ft.
Bliss, TX. Following military service, Victor was awarded a scholarship and
attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1959. Following admission to the
New Mexico bar, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Second
Judicial District in Albuquerque until entering the private practice of law in
1961.

In 1969, Victor was appointed United States Attorney for the District of New
Mexico by President Richard Nixon. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and
served in that position under Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter until June
1978 when he returned to private practice with the law firm Montgomery and
Andrews in Santa Fe. While U.S. Attorney, Victor was appointed by Attorney
General Elliott Richardson to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory
Committee (AGAC) and remained on that committee from 1973 to 1978,
serving as chair his last year. He was largely responsible for ensuring that the
AGAC became a permanent part of the DOJ.

Victor for many years was the senior litigator with Montgomery and Andrews,
concentrating primarily on complex commercial litigation. He represented
Southern Union Company in the New Mexico Natural Gas antitrust litigation
and the telephone company US West in the Inside Wire antitrust litigation.
He was for many years an avid runner and cyclist and completed a cycling
tour across the United States in 2000 at the age of 67. He enjoyed cycling in
Europe and skiing, both cross country and alpine, and loved fly fishing.

He is survived by his wife, Carol and his children John V. Ortega of Boulder,
CO, daughter Annamarie Shunny of Steamboat Springs, CO and
granddaughter Daniel Ortega of Seattle, WA. A flag has been flown in his
honor over the DOJ.