William B. Pope
William B. Pope, 85 of Alto, NM passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 20, 2017. He was born in Collin County, Texas on July 16, 1932. He graduated from McKinney High School and Wayland Baptist University. He proudly served in the Army in Korea from 1949 to 1952.
He began working for Southwestern Public Service in Lubbock in 1953. He retired from SPS in 1997 after a 44 year career that took him from Lubbock to Carlsbad, New Mexico, Guymon, Oklahoma, Dalhart, Texas, Levelland, Texas and Amarillo, Texas. He finished his career as the Division Manager for New Mexico in Roswell, New Mexico. After his retirement from SPS he became the CEO for the Roswell Chamber of Commerce until he was appointed to the New Mexico State Corporation Commission by Governor Gary Johnson in 1997. The New Mexico State Corporation Commission became the Public Regulation Commission and he was elected to a four year term on the PRC. He was elected the Chairman of the Public Regulation Commission in 2000 and served in that capacity until 2001.
During his distinguished career he served on the Board of Directors for Sunwest Bank in Roswell and First American Bank in Artesia. He was the past President of the New Mexico Amigos. He was a Board Member for the New Mexico Workforce Development, the New Mexico Highway Task Force, the Governor’s Business Operations Advisory committee and the New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Awards Council, the NMSU Public Utility Advisory Board, the Southwestern Regional Transmission Association Board, the New Mexico Farm Bureau, the Chaves County United Way, the Roswell Commercial Development Corporation, the Transportation Development District for Chaves, Eddy and Lea Counties, the Chaves County Economic Development Advisory Board, the Boy Scouts of America Conquistador Council, the Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Advisory Council, the Texas and New Mexico State Heart Affiliate of the American Heart Association and the New Mexico Rural Economic Development Council and the New Mexico Utility Shareholders Alliance and the Alto Lakes Water and Sanitation District. He was active in the First Christian Church in Carlsbad, Guymon, Dalhart, Levelland, Amarillo, Roswell and Ruidoso. He was Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Recipient, received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America and was the Man of the Year in Levelland in 1978. He was a Master Mason Grand Lodge of Texas. He was an avid golfer for almost 60 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents L.A. and Juanita Pope, his wife Dea, a brother James and a sister Ruth Bramlett.
He is survived by his wife Toni of Alto, a sister Rita Watley of Dallas, son Richard & wife Susan Davis of Lubbock, Texas, daughter Brenda & husband Pat Batchelor of Woodstock, Georgia, step daughter Robin Riley and husband Todd of Sacremento, California and step son Raymon Rohde of Turlock, California, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 from 6-8 p.m. at Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 in Plainview Memorial Park. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 26, 2017 at the first Christian Church in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to High Mountain Youth Project, P. O. Box 2646, Ruidoso, NM 88355 or the Altrusa Cancer Fund, P.O. Box 1143 Ruidoso, NM 88355.
Online condolences can be made at www.kornerstonefunerals.com