Bell, Tommy O.

Tommy O. Bell

Services: Will be held at a later date.

Tommy O’Neal Bell, 68, of Lake Sumner, died Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis.

He was born on Aug. 15, 1935, in Portales, to George Clark and Freda Olive Blevins Bell.

He was raised in Arch and attended school at Portales. He served in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. In 1961, he started working in law enforcement in Texas and New Mexico. He served the New Mexico communities of Clovis, Portales and Melrose. He made his home at Lake Sumner from the early 1980s until he moved to Clovis in 2003. He married Betty Bell on April 20, 1978. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and a U.S. veteran.

He was preceded in death by his wife; a grandson, Michael Thomas; a brother, Hector; and two sisters, Eunice and Betty.

Survivors include three daughters Desiree Hodges of Clovis, Kimberly Ann Longhurst (and husband, Marcos) of Clovis and Lisa McGinnis (Billy) of Melrose; a son, Tommy Bell Jr. of Flagstaff, Ariz..; two sisters, Wyvion Ware of Portales and Mary Jean Johnson of Phoenix; two brothers, Junior Bell (Essie) of Farmington and Buddy Bell (Peggy) of Lake Sumner; numerous grandchildren, including Brittany and Raven Padilla, Justin Hodges, Leighton Finney and Ashley Cash; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Cremation has taken place.

Arrangements are by Chavez Funeral Home of Fort Sumner.