Joe Leo Coultis, 89, passed away on March 2, 2026, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was born on May 24, 1936, in Moline, Illinois, to Harold Leo Joseph Coultis and Margaret Vandaele. His family later moved to Las Cruces, where Joe was raised and where he would eventually return to spend his final years.

Joe began his working life in Las Cruces as the manager of the Las Cruces Country Club, a role that reflected his strong work ethic and sense of responsibility. He later spent time in Cloudcroft, where he worked at the Observatory, contributing to the community during an important chapter of his early adulthood.

As a young man, Joe moved to Los Angeles, California, where he built a long and steady career with the United States Postal Service. He served as a mail carrier, a job that demanded reliability, discipline, and commitment—qualities Joe embodied every day. He worked for the USPS for more than 40 years. After retiring, Joe returned to Las Cruces in 1997, coming home to the place that had shaped his early life.

Joe was shaped by the values and expectations of his generation—strong, disciplined, and steady in the way many men of his time were. Beneath that exterior, he was a polite and quietly caring person. He had a deep love for animals and treated them with a gentleness that revealed the softer parts of his nature.

Joe is survived by his children: Rob Coultis and his wife Sandra; Charlotte Coultis and her husband Ben; Ryan Coultis and his wife Kiva; and Susan Coultis. He is also survived by his stepchildren: Raphael Aguilera, Oskar Coultis, and Donatela Mota Cruz. He leaves behind several grandchildren and great‑grandchildren, as well as former spouses who shared meaningful chapters of his life.

He will be remembered for his strength, his independence, his politeness, and his quiet nature—especially in the way he cared for the animals he loved. His family honors his life, his work, and the legacy he leaves behind.

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