Robert Ray Tomlinson

Graveside services for Robert R. Tomlinson, 80, of Portales will be held at 10:00 AM, Tues., Dec. 28, 2021 in the Portales Cemetery with Pastor Kelly Fulfer officiating.

Robert Ray Tomlinson was born April 25, 1941 in Clovis, NM to the home of Zenobia Ruth (Lust) and Sam Ellis Tomlinson and died early on the morning of Dec. 21, 2021 in Portales, NM.  On Nov. 26, 1962 in Muleshoe, TX he was married to Mary Lou Ellen Armstrong.  He made his home in Farwell, TX until 1992, when he and his family moved to Portales.  For several years he owned and operated Tomlinson Enterprises, Inc., and did “dirt work” of all kinds.  Some of the things he did was to create driveways and roads for the dairies, or dig out water retention ponds for them.  In the late 1980’s he began driving milk trucks for what is now WDT.  He had been retired since 2016.  Mr. Tomlinson was always tinkering with various projects, and always had the tool to accomplish the job.  If he didn’t have the tool, he would buy one.  He and his wife attended Trinity Assembly of God Church in Portales.

He is survived by Mary, his wife of more than 59 years of their home; three sons, Richard Tomlinson and his wife, Jackie of Portales, Jerry Tomlinson and his wife, Debra of California and Donny Tomlinson and his life partner, Linda Ferguson of Clovis; a daughter, Debbie Hutchinson and her husband, Chris of Portales; and seven grandchildren, Kyra, Haley, Jessen and Taysley Hutchinson and Kayleigh, Garrick and Colten Tomlinson.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Rebecca Tomlinson who died in 2008.

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