Royce "Pancho" Maples

Royce "Pancho" Maples, 68, passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Roswell, New Mexico. Please take a moment and share a kind thought or memory with Pancho's family at www.andersonbethany.com.
There will be a graveside service at Woodbine Cemetery in Artesia, New Mexico, on Tuesday May 20th, 2025, at 10:30 AM.
On October 8, 1956, Pancho was born to George and Bettie Maples in Artesia, New Mexico. Upon grad-uation, Pancho joined the United States Army where he served for many years before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He also served as an instructor at New Mexico Military Institute. He married the love of his life Susie, and they spent almost 50 years married to one another. Pancho was involved in many or-ganizations including the Safari Club and the Roswell Rotary. He had many passions in his life, hobbies that made him the happiest, some that included hunting in Africa, Australia, and Argentina; on these hunts he was blessed to see some dream animals of his. If he was not hunting, he was farming; he loved the land and being at one with God in nature's church. He was also an avid sporting clays shooter. Pan-cho also served the communities youth as the breeding heifer supervisor for the Eastern New Mexico State Fair. He used this time to mentor the youth in the show cattle world, another passion of his. One of his biggest passions in life was his friends and family, he treasured the time spent with them.
Those left to eternally treasure and cherish memories of Pancho are his wife, Carol (Susie) Maples; son, Hubert W. Maples, and his wife, Somer; grandchildren, Whitney, Drake, Natalie, and Valery Maples; and siblings, Doug Maples, and his wife Lori; numerous nieces and nephews; and a very large extended family.
Pancho is preceded in death by his parents, George Edwin and Bettie Maples, and his son, Casey Maples.
In lieu of flowers, Pancho's family suggests donations be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in his honor.