Memorial services for Jimmie Richards, 85, of Portales, will be conducted at 1:00 PM, Thurs., June 22, 2017 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Gary Simpson officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be J. Mark Richards, Richard Downing, Justin Sherburne, Chance Sherburne, Melissa Torres, Ashley Albrecht, and Michele Robertson, along with the caring staffs of the Clovis Bee Hive Home and the Plains Regional Medical Center Oncology Dept.
Jimmie Neal Richards was born May 16, 1932 in Dora, NM to the home of Bessie (Bennett) and Robert L. “Bob” Richards, and died June 17, 2017 in Clovis, NM. Jimmie grew up in Dora, and graduated from Dora High School in 1950. He attended Eastern New Mexico University and played football before being drafted into the Army to serve during the Korean War. On May 21, 1955 in Dora, he was married to Anna Beth Lawson. They made their home in Carlsbad, NM until 1963 where Jimmie worked in the Potash mines. For a brief time they moved to Dallas, but soon returned to New Mexico, and Jimmie resumed his university studies at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. He graduated in 1967. During those years, Jimmie did a variety of jobs to earn money to support his family while he went to college.
Following his graduation, the family moved to St. Clairsville, OH, and he was employed as a hydrologist for USGS, the forerunner of the EPA. In 1980, Jimmie moved his family back to New Mexico, and he became the Environmental Specialist at Cannon Air Force Base. Following his official retirement in 1993, he became a greeter at the local Wal Mart store from the time of its opening until 2012.
Jimmie was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. In addition to being a devoted husband, father and grandfather, Jimmie loved to hunt and fish and garden. His favorite fishing spots were Lake Heron near Chama, NM and at Clayton, NM. Besides his garden, he raised pecans and cattle.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, J. Mark and Rose Richards of Portales; three daughters, Karen Downing and husband, Richard of Hobbs, NM, Lisa Richards of Roswell, NM and Jo Richards and her spouse, Lauren Phillips of Las Cruces, NM; six grandchildren, Melissa (Larry) Torres, Richard Neal (Danielle) Downing, Ashley (John) Albrecht, Justin Sherburne and his fiancé, Jen Johnson, Chance Lee Sherburne and Michele (Jeff) Robertson; 18 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Marion Richards of Lubbock, TX, Max Richards of Carlsbad, NM and Clyde Richards of San Diego, CA; and two sisters, Lynda Shults of Myrtle Beach, SC and Kay Gatewood of Emporia, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Wanda, and by his beloved wife, Anna Beth Richards who died Aug. 5, 2010 after more than 55 years of marriage.
