Anthony James Salopek

On May 1, 2025, Anthony James Salopek (“James”) passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in his home on the family farm south of Mesilla, NM. James will be dearly missed by the entire Salopek family and many friends gained from his long and thriving life on earth.

James was born on the family farm and grew up in the beautiful Mesilla valley where his grandfather and father, one of the original five Salopek brothers, began their family farming operation more than a century ago. From a young age, James and his brothers were adventurous and spirited with their farming endeavors, being among the first to fully convert their existing farm from cotton to pecans. Throughout the years, and throughout many hardships and successes, James worked alongside his father and brothers to build one of the most successful farms in the Southwest.

James was involved professionally with many organizations related to advancing agriculture in New Mexico. He served as Board President of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District for more than 15 years, and as a Board Member for almost 25 years. James was also active in other local, state, and national organizations, including the New Mexico Pecan Growers Association, the Western Pecan Growers Association, the National Water Resources Association, and the Family Farm Alliance. James was passionate about his involvement in family farming, and whether it was boots on the ground farm labor, or meetings in Washington D.C., he was always serious and thoughtful about his participation and contributions. In business settings, James had a wise presence about him that garnered respect, and he did not often speak, but when he did, everyone listened. James always “dressed for success” just like his father and uncles before him, most days wearing dress pants, a crisp button-up shirt, and a coat or jacket, even to work on the farm.

Those who knew him, and anyone who met him, were automatically drawn to his quick wit and charm. He would often lovingly refer to those he knew and thought highly of by nicknames, among those being “doll”, “darlin’”, “baby-cakes”, “tocayo” and so many more. His sheer size, as James was an enormous man standing at 6’4 and 250lbs, could be intimidating, but once you got to know him, you knew he was a loving teddy bear who wanted nothing but the best for all those who surrounded him. To see his tenderness on full display, one need look no further than to the many times he would hold his disabled granddaughter’s hand and keep her company and provide her with comfort during large family events, where he was also rarely seen leaving her side. For this reason, he was affectionately referred to by his family as “Papa Bear.”

James was fun! He was constantly joking or making quips to keep the spirit of conversation light. He liked to have a good time, he liked to get out and enjoy life, and he liked to remind those around him to do the same. Anyone found to be too unnecessarily serious in a particular situation would immediately be told to “Take it easy Tommy”, and immediately you knew that was his way of saying ‘life is too precious to worry about this.’ And nobody can deny that James knew how to have a good time – actually, the BEST time! Whether it was evening family time, the regular Wednesday evening “Prayer Meeting” in the 6U farm office, water skiing at the lake with his cousins, snowmobiling with his sons, thrifting with Carol, or throwing horseshoes with other farm families, James was happy and fun to be around, and surprisingly talented at all of what he took on. Among his favorite activities were flying with Rett and watching Anton race cars. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter to James what he was doing so long as he was doing it with his family and friends.

James is preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Tess Salopek, brother Mark Salopek and the mother of his two sons, Georgia. James is survived by sons Anton and Rett Salopek (Samantha), grandchildren Shylee, Cayden, and Fallon, wife Carol Tomei and her children Anne Marie Robles and Patrick Jaquess, his brother Ben Salopek (Mary) and Sisters Mary Jane Carson (Robert) and Anne Nelson (Woody), sister-in-law Marci Salopek, and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, and aunts. James had an enormous family and was surrounded by love when he passed. He will be forever loved and missed by many.

Services are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14 at 11am at the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, followed by a light luncheon and celebration. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those considering flowers instead consider donations to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital or the Family Farm Alliance in honor of James.