Willis E "Gene" Newman

Funeral services for Willis E. "Gene" Newman, 70, of Portales, will be at 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 23, 2015, in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Darryl Tenefos officiating. Burial will follow in the Melrose Cemetery with Brandon Newman, Quintin Hilburn, Waylon Riley, Rustin Riley, Eric Coleman,Thomas King, Josh King and Leighton Hilburn serving as pallbearers. All of his many coffee drinking friends will be honorary pallbearers. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231, or by credit card on our website, at www.wheelermortuary.net.
Willis Eugene Newman, known to many as "Gene", was born February 21, 1945, in Ajo, AZ to the home of Lilly (Leatherwood) and Benjamin "Ovid" Newman, and died early on the morning of May 20, 2015, in Portales, NM.
The Newman family moved to Clovis and later to Portales when Gene was a boy. In 1960, he was married to Nancy Roberson. The couple had five daughters and a son before later divorcing. On April 23, 1982, in Melrose he was married to B. Cleaun Smith. Gene worked with his brother, Odis Newman, at Valley Electric in Portales until 1977, when he established Newman Electric Co. in Clovis.
In spite of declining health, Gene never retired, and continued to come to work for as much of the time as he was able until his death. His electrical business was always secondary to his beloved family and his various hobbies. Gene loved to go fishing and hunting, and tend to his garden. He even raised quail for awhile. Gene was a very outgoing and friendly man, and was very close to his family. In addition, he enjoyed visiting and "solving the world's problems" over coffee with countless friends at local coffee hangouts.
He is survived by Cleaun, his wife of 33 years of their home; a son and daughter-in-law, Benjamin Eugene and Kim Newman of Portales; his daughters and sons-in-law, Cindy and Ted Harper of Clovis, Julie Coleman of Muleshoe,TX, Bobbi and Lonny King of Midland, TX, Sherri and Kim Humble of Muskogee,OK, Shana and Dusty Allen of Midland, TX, Courtnee and Casey Escobal of Portales and Kimberly Newman of Roswell, NM; his step children, Keith Fitzgerald of Artesia, NM and Becky Saiz and husband, Al of Clovis; 19 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Erma Lee Shoemake of Mt. Vernon, TX and Donna Switzer of Clovis.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Leroy and Odis Newman and two sisters, Mary Ellen Kirby and Foy Vandiver.
Arrangements are under the direction of Wheeler Mortuary of Portales.575-356-4455,wheelermortuary.net