Franklin B. Willis

Services for Franklin B. Willis, 93 of Portales, NM will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, June 19, 2014 at First Baptist Church in Fort Sumner with Rev. Wes McAfee officiating. Burial with military honors provided by Cannon Air Force Base Honor Detail will follow at Fort Sumner Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Tony Willis, Kim Willis, Michael Willis, Damien Willis, Michael Hartmann, and Garry Reed. Honorary bearers will be his Sunday School Class, Deacons, his friends at Golden Acres, and all his former students, and school staff he worked with over the years. Visitation will be Wednesday from 1pm to 6pm. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 4pm to 6pm. F.B. passed away Monday, June 16, 2014 at Retirement Ranch in Clovis, NM following an illness. He was born May 5, 1921 in Floydada, Texas to the home of Franklin Burley Willis and the former Maggie Edna Burkholder. He was raised in Morton, Texas. He attended school in Morton, TX, college at Portales where he received his Bachelor Degree in Education and Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM where he received his Masters Degree of Administration. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, 766th Chemical Company, 9th Air Force during World War II, he served in Normandy, Northern France, and Rhineland. F.B. was honorably discharged on October 31, 1945. F.B. Married CliffoJean Newton on December 1, 1939 in Portales, New Mexico. He was a lifelong educator and coached football and basketball for 25 years. He taught at House, NM for 18 months, before moving to Fort Sumner in 1950 where he taught for 31 years. F.B. served as President of the local Teacher Association, was a life member of the National Education Association and the NM Education Association, he also served 12 years on the board of the Fort Sumner Housing Authority. F.B. was a member of the First Baptist Church in Fort Sumner since 1937 and served as a Deacon since 1954. While living in Portales he was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church. F.B. is preceded in death by his wife CliffoJean Willis in 2007, his mother Maggie Willis in 1932, father Franklin Willis in 1976, two sisters Audley Wartes in 1979, and Lois Winder, three brothers Boyd Willis in 1980, E.Z. Willis in 1991, and John "Ox" Willis in 1996. Survivors include two sons, Jack Willis and his wife Pat of Portales, Jerry Willis and his wife Debbie of Rio Rancho, grandchildren Dustin Willis, Tony Willis and his wife Shannon, Kim Willis and his wife Myra, Damien Willis, Michael Hartmann and his wife Kasandra, great-grandchildren Jordyn Willis, Michael Willis, Lexy Willis, Hunter Montez, Jack Ryan Willis, Amelia Hartmann, and Savannah Hartmann. Also surviving is a sister in law Ann Willis of Clovis along with a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many longtime friends. Arrangements are under the direction of Chavez Funeral Home, 830 N. Fifth Street, Fort Sumner, NM. (575) 355-2311. To place an online tribute or sign the guest book go to www.chavezfuneralhome.com