Michelle Nunez Obituary

Michelle Lee Nunez of Durango, Colorado passed away on Friday, April 30, 2021, following a long illness; she was 54. Michelle was an accomplished woman who was much loved by her family and friends. She was fiercely independent and devoted to those she loved. She was a very beautiful women in appearance, but also on the inside, and she took on life with great gusto. Her sense of humor was legendary.

Michelle graduated in film making at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington after growing up in San Diego and Truckee California, and Durango, Colorado. As an adult she spent many years in New Orleans, Louisiana. Michelle worked in the film industry in various capacities, most notably as producer and director of her own films, "Black Madonna," "Zuni Fetishes," and her groundbreaking work on the implementation of wind-generated electric power in "Wind Uprising."

Michelle engaged in various passions during her lifetime, most notably gymnastics in her youth, and later skiing, hiking, and biking in her beloved Colorado mountains. During her time at Evergreen, she was often out filming protests on weekends. She was a strong advocate of women's rights and environmental issues.

Michelle was a direct descendant of Dr. Samuel Nunez (1668-1744), the famous physician who fled the Portuguese Inquisition for London in 1726 and later joined the infant American colony of Savannah, Georgia in 1733. Dr. Nunez helped the colony survive and prosper by means of his medical expertise.

Perhaps her greatest love and legacy is her beautiful daughter Isabelle. Michelle is also survived by her mother, Gail Ruffin; her father and his wife, Paul and Kirsty Nunez; her siblings Cindy, Shari, Michael, and Lisa; her five nephews Nolan, Jordan, Kyle, Ian, and Tyler; and her great nieces and nephew, Marybelle, Hayes, and Luna.

A Celebration of LIfe will be held 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 25 at The Roost, 128 E. College Dr., Durango. Info: 970-317-4810.