Funeral services for Gary E. “Slats” Armitage, 59, will be at 10:00 AM, Tues., Sept. 4, 2018 at the Kenna Community Church, Kenna, NM with Steve Friskup officiating. Burial will follow in the Kenna Cemetery with Rocky Tivis, J.D. Kibbe, Mike Leatherwood, Mark Bryant, Tom Timberlake and Bill Logerman serving as pallbearers. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dale Vaughan, Karl Dennison, Kent Best, Tommy Skipworth, Jim McReynolds, Jake Barns and Guy Allan. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to Freedom Ranch, PO Box 297, Clovis NM 88101.
Gary Edwin Armitage was born Nov. 29, 1959 in Roswell to the home of Cora Jean (Vaughan) and Glen Armitage, and died after a lengthy illness on Aug. 30, 2018 in Las Vegas, NM.
Gary lived in Kenna until the age of 5, when his family moved to Roswell. He attended his senior year in Dexter to play football, and graduated in 1977. He attended Eastern New Mexico University where he competed on the rodeo team. Gary competed in team calf roping and steer roping. Gary made his living on the rodeo circuit until his health forced his retirement in 2006.
On July 17, 1981 in Ruidoso he was married to Jane Hedeman. In 1983 they moved to Roswell, but returned to Portales in 1988. In 2007, Gary moved to Lea Conty where he stayed until moving to Las Vegas to be near his daughter. Gary was a Christian, and always considered the Kenna church as his home congregation.
He is survived by his former wife, Jane Hedeman Armitage of Stevensville, TX; his two daughters and a son-in-law, Kenna and Chris Francis of Las Vegas, NM and Kodi Armitage of Hobbs, NM; a granddaughter, Kastyn Francis; and two brothers, Dwayne Kibbe of Portales and Russell Armitage of KS. He was preceded in death by his parents and his infant daughter, Tamra Armitage.
