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Ozzie Reeves, 84, formerly of La Villita, New Mexico died in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 16, 2010. He was born in Camp springs, Texas to the late James W. and Valeria (Lipham) Reeves. During his childhood, his family traveled between Alabama and Arizona where Ozzie worked delivering groceries, picking cotton, and selling citrus fruit on street corners. He attended various elementary schools in Alabama, Texas and Arizona but the greatest regret of his life was that he was only able to complete eighth grade. Wanting a better life for himself, he enlisted in the Navy at age 17, convincing his mother to forge his father's signature to allow him to join while underage. He enlisted as a ship's serviceman cobbler and served on the USS Vicksburg seeing action in the Pacific Theater during WWII. During his service in the Navy, he learned telecommunications and following his honorable discharge, he went to work for Mountain States Telephone Company as a lineman and cable splicer. He worked on the telephone lines between El Paso, Texas and Trinidad, Colorado. In 1947, he lived in Los Alamos, New Mexico and worked as a cable splicer and lineman at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Additionally, he worked on the weekends for J.E. "Tip" Tipton who owned the Espanola Telephone Company. One of the towns in which he did telephone work was Las Vegas, New Mexico where he met one of the switchboard operators, Jane Ellen Cartwright. On December 4, 1948, they were married in Las Vegas, New Mexico. In 1951, Ozzie had the opportunity to purchase the telephone company in Chama, New Mexico. He and Jane moved to Chama where he did all of the outside work (putting up poles, stringing wire and maintaining the lines) and Jane operated the switchboard, did inside installation and handled the billing. They started with 46 customers and had 4,600 when they sold it. In 1957, he purchased the telephone company in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, moved his family over there, and commuted between Pagosa and Chama. In 1958, he sold the Pagosa company and he and the family moved back to Chama. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and he and Ozzie Washburn often led hunting and fishing expeditions, once taking an editor for Sports Illustrated up on the Cumbres to fish. He was responsible for putting in the telephone lines that went over Cumbres Pass into Antonito. Colorado. Several times he assisted the train crews on the D&RGW when they became stuck going over the Cumbres Pass. He worked hard to get the village of Chama incorporated and was elected one of its first councilmen. Prior to that, recognizing the need for fresh, pure drinking water in Chama, he became president of the Community Water Association which, through a state aid program, drilled a deep well, installed pumps and tanks and extended water lines. He was instrumental in the completion of Highway 64 from Taos to Tierra Amarilla. In 1962, he purchased the Espanola Telephone Company from J.E. Tipton and merged that with his Chama company to form the Rio Arriba Telephone Company. His family moved to La Villita in July 1962. In Espanola he was a member of Kiwanis Club, a volunteer fireman, one of the original founders of Valley National Bank, and a board member of El Pueblo State Bank (now Community Bank). He also worked with Roy Honstein to develop Big Rock Shopping Center becoming a part owner of Valley Drugs and Tewa Lanes Bowling Alley. In 1966, he sold the telephone company to Trans-Continental Telephone and realized a life-long dream of owning race horses, traveling to Kentucky to purchase four thoroughbred yearlings who would become La Villita Ruler, La Villita Lady, Princess Flame, and Nasky Lyn. He owned, raced and trained thoroughbreds until 1981 racing at tracks in California, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania eventually owning fifty and standing two stallions at stud-O Be Joyful and Real Petty. During this time he was a member of the New Mexico Horse Breeders' Association and lobbied for passage of a bill to award incentive monies to owners and breeders of New Mexico breds. In 1980 he was awarded the association's Horseman of the Year Award. Throughout his life he was very active politically. In 1968 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and in 1982, he was elected to serve on the Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative Board of Directors. In 1993, he sold his property in New Mexico and purchased a 1600-acre ranch in Vera, Oklahoma where he raised cattle and pecans. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 52 years, Jane; his brothers, James Douglas Reeves and Richard Zenther Reeves. He is survived by his long-time companion, Betty Joy With; his children, daughter Marilyn Reeves and husband Matthew Maes; son Mike Reeves; and daughter Peggy and husband Howard Reed; four grandsons, Jason, Justin and John Scott and Robert Reeves; two great-grandchildren, Aiden Ozzie Scott and Olivia Jane Scott; his brother Larry Reeves and wife Jamie; and his sister Barbara "Bobbie" Swinney. Cremation has taken place and a celebration of Ozzie's life will be held in September. Donations in Ozzie's memory may be made to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, P.O. Box 3387, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
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