Richard David Sommerville

Prominent Upper Valley farmer, Buck Sommerville died peacefully with family on March 2, 2015, at 94 years of age. The Sommerville family came to the El Paso/Las Cruces area in 1936. Buck graduated from Valley High School in 1938. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor he traveled to Denver to enlist in the U.S. Marines. He proudly served in the Second Marine Division as an amphibious tractor driver in the Pacific Theatre, including the battles of Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tinian, and Tarawa. It was during a leave in New Zealand that he met the love of his life, Jean Fletcher. Following the war he began his career as a farmer and made the journey back to New Zealand to marry Jean. They were married 61 years. Buck farmed in La Mesa, Chamberino and Berino area of the valley, and was one of the pioneers in the production and marketing of red chile pods, also growing cotton and other crops. He continued to farm until 1988 when he retired, and he and Jean traveled extensively in the U.S., Great Britain, and New Zealand. He was preceded in death by his wife Jean, his sister Naomi S. Powers, and granddaughter, Carol Parker. He is survived by his daughters Brenda Parker (Larry), Jan Clarence (Kenny), grandsons Richard and Robert Clarence, granddaughter Laura Vreeland (Mike), and great-grandson Jacob Vreeland. Services will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 1:00 pm at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in La Union, NM. Donations in his memory may be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 7050 McNutt Rd, Anthony, NM, 88021, or El Paso Hospice. The family would like to express heartfelt thanks to his loving caregivers. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home-West. Please visit our online register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net