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LOOMIS -- W.J. (Bill) Loomis, Sr. was born in Concordia, Kansas, March 6, 1912. His family moved to New Mexico in 1915. In 1919 the family of 9 lost their Father. His mother taught school, and oldest brother Lewis moved to Mexico to work for ASARCO in order to support the family and send money back to the homestead in Las Cruces; so brothers and sisters could attend college. Bill graduated from New Mexico College of A & MA, aka New Mexico State University, in 1933 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. After a short time as a surveyor with the New Mexico State Highway Department, he was offered a job with a highway contractor and became a Construction Manager. Bill met and married Lorraine Stone Hall in Raton, NM in 1938 and were happily married for 56 years. Lorraine preceded him in death in 1992, and his daughter Betty Meerscheidt preceded him in death in 2004. Grand daughter Donna Kennedy also preceded him in death in 1998. Survivors include daughter Mary, son Bill Jr. and wife Melissa. Grand children include: Marilynn Morris, Janette Brunt, Michael Curtin, Cinda Kennedy, Paul Loomis, Jay Loomis, John Loomis, and Kristine Drake. Great grand children include: Michael Jay and Melissa Curtin, Mary-Therese and Stuart Morris, and Gabriel Drake. During WWII Bill served in General Patton’s 3rd Army, 71st Division Engineers as a Captain. After returning home from the war, he bought and operated the Garfield Mercantile Store from 1946 to 1947. He returned to highway construction management and eventually founded and developed Loomis Construction Co. Inc. in 1959. He operated the company for 34 years until he retired. He was a member of New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers, and also a member and an Honorary Lifetime Member of Associated Contractors of New Mexico. He was well known in the industry for "smooth asphalt paving" and keeping an excellent workforce, by maintaining and displaying his loyalty to the workers that helped earn him his good reputation and amongst his close associates he was known as the "Commander". He was a private pilot, owned his own airplane, and flew all over New Mexico and on trips to Mexico regularly. He was a founding member of VFW post 1389 in Elephant Butte, New Mexico and enjoyed his tenure as captain of his pleasure boat, the "Sweet Lorraine". A Memorial Celebration Service will be held on Monday, March 12, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. with Mr. Marvin Bean in the Chapel of Kirikos Family Funeral Home, 303 N. Cedar St.-TorC, NM. Arrangements are by Kirikos Family Funeral Home, Inc. & Sierra Crematory, LLC, (TorC) 505-894-2574
        Published on: Sat March 10, 2007