Leslie Harrison "Bob" Mead

1929 - 2025

Leslie Harrison (Bob) Mead was born on September 8th, 1929. He was born in La Junta, Colorado to Lilly Vivian McDaniel Mead and Henry Harrison Mead. This was one month before the Stock Market crashed in October 1929. Bob passed peacefully and quietly on March 22nd, 2025 in his home in Tucumcari, New Mexico with his family.
When Bob was one year old, his father died of appendicitis after which his mother Lilly moved Bob and his sister Serena back to Tucumcari, New Mexico to live with his Grandmother Nellie, Grandfather James W. McDaniel, and Aunt Edna McDaniel until 1943 when he moved to House, NM. In 1943, Bob's mother, Lilly married George Griggs who had a son, Garland Griggs. In 1948, Bob graduated from House High School. During this year, his brother Carry G. Griggs was born.
During the Summer months, Bob lived with his Uncle Wes and Aunt Tina McDaniel in House, NM where he learned to work on their corn and bean farm. Bob joined the 41st Armored Infantry Battalion in 1948, for one year. While he was on inactive duty, he worked on the farm in House, NM until the Korean Conflict broke out and was called up to the 321st Army Medical Depot. In 1951, Bob went to work for the Mountain Bell Telephone Company, starting on the Line Crew, installing telephone lines across New Mexico then worked in the switch office in Taos, NM where he retired after working thirty-two years.
Bob and Joanne met in Trinidad, Colorado. They fell in love and were married in Taos, NM on January 3, 1953. They celebrated their seventy-second Anniversary this year. They moved to Taos in 1957 and lived there fifty-one years. They had three children, Lynn Esther Mead-Boelke, Martin Leslie Mead, and Regan Curtis Mead. In 2013, they moved back to Tucumcari, NM.
Bob and Joanne raised Registered Angus Cattle from 1957 to 2008. Bob was a member of the New Mexico Angus Association and was President for two years, was President of The Taos Grazing Association, Membership Chairman for Taos Community for New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, and was President of the Tucumcari Bull Test for one year. Bob and Joanne have been members of First Baptist Churches for seventy years.
Bob was not afraid to take anything "on". He rodeoed, raised Angus Cattle and horses, rebuilt a Model A Ford and covered wagon, built southwestern style furniture, built and learned to play the fiddle; wrote and published two books (Get That Gate and Route 66 Through New Mexico), painted oil landscapes, carved Santos and Nutcrackers. The list goes on. He was a very talented man. After moving back to Tucumcari, Bob enjoyed meeting people from all over the world at his 'Two-Bit Museum and Trading Post' where he sold odds, ends, and antiques. Bob loved to read books of all kinds and subjects. He read about one book a week despite his poor eyesight. He loved to tell stories and good jokes.
Leslie Harrison Mead (Bob) was preceded in death by his father Henry Harrison Mead, stepfather George Griggs, stepbrother Garland Griggs and wife Sue Griggs, mother Lilly Vivian McDaniel Mead Griggs, two premature babies, Robert H. Mead in 1954 and Justin Lee Mead in 1956, and son Martin Leslie Mead in 2024.
Leslie Harrison Mead (Bob) is survived by his wife Joanne Mead, sister Serena Mead McDonald Goar and nephew Roy McDonald and wife Cathy, brother Carry Griggs, sister-in-law Linda Sollberger Griggs and daughter Amy Griggs, daughter Lynn Mead-Boelke, son-in-law Chris Boelke, and granddaughter Katelyn Ann Boelke, son Regan Mead, daughter-in-law Melissa Mead, grandson Preston Mead and wife Breanna Hall Mead and great grandchildren Clover, Rez, Haizen, and Poppy Mead, Grandson Wesley Mead and wife McCall White Mead and great grandchildren Brooks and Palmer Mead, granddaughter Sara Mead Perkins and husband Kenton Perkins and great granddaughter due in May 2025. Bob is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Service will take place at 10:00 a.m. at Place First Baptist Church of Tucumcari on Thursday March 27, 2025. Burial at Tucumcari Memorial Park Cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send to First Baptist Church in Tucumcari, NM or New Mexico Baptist Children's Home in Portales, NM.