Ron Wilmot dies at age 68

Ron Wilmot, a former publisher of the Quay County Sun, a former manager of the Tucumcari Convention Center and a longtime staffer in the Tucumcari office for U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, died Nov. 18 at Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari. He was 68.

Ray Mondragon, an economic development and government affairs official with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments, said before a legislative forum Wednesday at Mesalands Community College that Wilmot had suffered a heart attack.

Mondragon said one of Wilmot's three sons was there at his hospital bed when he died. Mondragon then led a moment of silence and a prayer.

A memorial service had been planned this week at First Presbyterian Church in Tucumcari, where he was a member. But because up to 300 people were anticipated, it was moved to the main exhibition hall at the Quay County Fairgrounds, stated the Rev. Amy Pospichal in an email. It is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday with a reception of cookies and coffee.

Wilmot's remains were cremated, and private burial will be at a later date, according to Muffley Funeral Home in Clovis, which is in charge of arrangements.

Lujan, a Democrat who also is assistant speaker for the U.S. House of Representatives, issued a statement Nov. 19 about Wilmot's death.

"I am grieving with his family, friends and the Quay community today over the loss of a dedicated public servant who brought care and attention to the people of New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. Ron was an original member of my team and epitomized what a congressional case manager can achieve by bringing a big heart, boundless optimism, and a belief in service to the job," the congressman stated.

"Unquestionably, Ron made a significant difference in the lives of many through his public service and tenure as publisher and president of the Quay County Sun. His passing is a devastating loss for New Mexico. We will miss Ron, but will never forget him or his boundless kindness."

Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield also praised Wilmot for his kindness and recalled him running the newspaper during the 1990s.

Martin Encinias, who said he had known Wilmot for 10 years, said Wilmot had managed the Tucumcari Convention Center from 2001 to 2009.

"Caring, kind and considerate," Encinias said when asked to summarize the type of person Wilmot was. "That's the reason he got in the business he did."

Wilmot ran Lujan's Tucumcari office beginning in 2009. Mondragon said Wilmot was good at cutting through red tape that kept residents from getting veterans' benefits or Social Security payments.

"He was a champion for the people of Quay County," he said. "He never met a stranger at his office."

Wilmot gave short speeches on Lujan's behalf during two Veterans Day events in Tucumcari the previous week.

Wilmot was born Dec. 10, 1950, to Glenn and Betty Lorraine Wilmot in Galesburg, Illinois. According to his obituary, he enjoyed woodworking, painting, drawing and making arts and crafts. He was a fan of the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls and Detroit Red Wings.

Survivors include his sons: Eric Wilmot of Tucumcari, Douglas Glenn Wilmot of Chicago and Robert Christopher Lamont Wilmot of Clovis; his last wife; Christine Lopez of Clovis; and a granddaughter; Layla Elizabeth Wilmot. His parents preceded him in death.