Obituary
Funeral services for Billy “Joe” Essary, 72, of Portales, NM will be held at 2:00 PM, Mon., Dec. 28, 2020 at the Central Christian Church with Pastor Don Thomas and Rev. Brad Morgan officiating. Burial will follow in the Floyd Cemetery with Gavin Nash, Dakota Foust, Carl Don Essary II, DeJesus Essary, Bryan Gore, Jeremy Essary and Drumichael Spicer serving as pallbearers. Bob Essary, Don Essary, Hershel Essary, David Nash, Jeff Essary, Chuck Essary and Larry Essary will be honorary pallbearers.
Billy Joe Essary was born June 9, 1948 in Portales to the home of Nora “Opal” (McCarty) and Carl Robert Essary and died Dec. 22, 2020 in Lubbock, TX. Joe graduated from Floyd High School in 1966. He was a star basketball player, and still holds the record for the state for the most rebounds (17.8) per game. On July 6, 1968, he was married to Lorene Clark. The couple had four sons. On June 8, 1996, in Portales, he was married to Betty (Cornett) Foust.
For a short time after graduating from high school, Joe worked as a brakeman for the railroad. After being injured on the job, he purchased a crane that he used to build dirt tanks over much of the northern state of New Mexico. During his working career, Joe drove trucks, became a certified welder, a licensed auctioneer and owned a rock crushing business and ran a salvage business. He was a great encourager, and was an agent for “Dare to Be Great,” an organization begun by Glen W. turner, that specializes in teaching people to believe in themselves in order to be better salesmen.
Joe was always good for a joke. He loved making people laugh, and even did stand up comedy acts in various venues. He was an active member of the Floyd Lions Club where he performed at the Jamboree on several occasions. Joe like being outdoors, and enjoyed many great hunting and fishing trips with his family.
He is survived by his wife, Betty of their home; his sons and daughters-in-law, Carl Don and Amy Essary of Albuquerque, Marlin Essary of Portales, Gary Joe and Katye Essary of Portales, William and Tarri Foust of Lewiston, ID and Tony and Evie Foust of Clovis; 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; and three brothers, Bob Essary of Capitan, NM, Don Essary of Floyd and Hershel Essary of Portales; as well as nieces and nephews and a host of friends, and by his first wife, Lorene Paige of Redding, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Carlene Zant and Shirley Kayder and by a son, Jeremy Clark Essary who died Dec. 31, 1991.
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