Tommy Joe Hamar, Sr., age 82, passed away on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in Portales, NM.
Tommy was born on August 23, 1943 in Clovis, NM to Loyd George and Valeria Joan Hamar. He grew up in Melrose and graduated from Melrose High School in 1961. He attended Eastern New Mexico University for a time and transferred to New Mexico State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in 1967. While he attended NMSU, he was a member of the Rodeo team, and met and married Barbara Patterson in December 1966.
Tommy and Barbara lived in Bosque Farms and Lovington, and returned to Melrose in 1974 to help out at the family farm. Their daughter Tana and son Tommy Joe Jr. both graduated from Melrose High School.
Tommy was a member of the Melrose Roping Club, and enjoyed team roping. He worked as a cattle order buyer for many years and owned cattle for most of his life. Later on in life, he went to work for the Roberts family driving a cattle truck and working on the farm. Tommy thoroughly enjoyed the western way of life and believed in working cattle horseback as much as possible.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years: his daughter Tana Reed and her husband Leon of Edgewood, NM; his son Tommy Joe Jr. and his girlfriend Regina Wilks of Oklahoma City, OK; granddaughter DeeDee Ginther and her husband Justin of Eaton, CO; grandsons Benjamin and Jeremey Hamar; great-granddaughers Harper and Jessie Ginther. He was preceded in death by his parents, Loyd and Joan Hamar; his brothers, Gary and Don Hamar; and his grandson Renn Bailey.
