Lenwood “Earl” Tinsley August 22, 1939 ~ May 2, 2024 (age 84)

Funeral services for Lenwood “Earl” Tinsley, 84, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sat., May 11, 2024 at the First Baptist Church in Portales with Rev. Phillip Smith officiating, assisted by Dr. David McFadden.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with the deacons of the church serving as pallbearers.  Military honors will be rendered by the Cannon Air Force Base Honor Guard.

Lenwood “Earl” Tinsley was born Aug. 22, 1939 in Ethel, WV to the home of Mary Kathryn and Eldridge Tinsley, and passed from this life on the morning of May 2, 2024 in Portales.  Earl, as most people knew him, graduated from high school in Logan, WV in 1957.  Following graduation, he joined the US Navy where he served for four years.  During that time, he kept records for the helicopter pilots.  Following that enlistment, he joined the US Air Force.  While he was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base, he made the acquaintance of Sharon Wilson, and they were married on Dec. 16, 1961 at the University Baptist Church in Portales.

Earl served more than 24 years in the Personnel Office at various bases across the nation.  Following his retirement after a total of 28 years, 10 months and 3 days on June 30, 1985, he and his wife moved from Rome, NY to Albany where he began selling real estate for Century 21.  In 1986, Sharon’s company moved her to San Antonio, TX, and in 1987, Earl went back to work for the Civil Service, again as a Personnel Manager.  When he finally took his retirement in 2002, they relocated to Portales to care for Sharon’s mother.

Earl was a member of the First Baptist Church in Portales, where he served as a deacon.  Among his church activities, he regularly accompanied the pastor on his visits to the shut-ins of the congregation.  He was also active with the Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Team.

Earl loved football, and especially the University of Nebraska team.  In fact, he had painted an entire room of their home in Red and Black and White in honor of the school’s colors.  For enjoyment, he put together massive jigsaw puzzles.  One thousand pieces was his minimum size puzzle.

He is survived by Sharon, his wife of more than 62 years of their home; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mark Earl and Laura Tinsley of Canyon Lake, CA and Bart Alan and Carrie Tinsley of Allen, TX; a daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Mark Morrison of Portales; 11 grandchildren, Michael, Nicholas, Parker, Noah, and Jake Tinsley, Nebraska (Roman) Rojo, and Gavin Garrison, Grayson, Grady and Evelina; and six great-grandchildren; A brother, Billy (Debbie) Loftis of Belle, WV, two sisters, Mona (Carlos) Moreno of Fair Oaks, CA and Joan Loftis of Canfield, OH; a sister-in-law, Linda (Mrs. Mont) Tinsley of Nashville, TN; as well as a number of nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Regis “Mont” Tinsley who died in 2020.

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