John E Romine

John E Romine, 78, of Tularosa, New Mexico passed away peacefully in his sleep at home after a battle with cancer. He left to go home with our Lord surrounded by his family on December 27, 2021.

John is preceded in death by his parents, John H and Evelyn Romine; a grandson, Matthew Neagle; and a great granddaughter, Danielle Nicole Hood. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 and a half years, Mary; two daughters, Janie (Randy) Brown of Las Cruces, NM and Teresa (Wayne) Hood of Tularosa, NM; three honorary children, Rusti Henderson of College Station, TX, Cheryl (John) Bowman of Alamogordo, NM and Steve Anderson of San Antonio, TX; five grandchildren, Chris (Liz) Brown of Tularosa, NM, Robert (Bobby) (Jennifer) Hood of Tularosa, NM, Toby Hood of Tularosa, NM, Brandy (Chris) Hirrill of Tularosa, NM, and Jeremy (Audrey) Brown of Arkansas; twelve great grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter; four siblings, David (Virgie) Romine of Hope, NM, Patty Setty of Athens, Ohio, Shannon (Sid) Smith of New Washington, OH, and Kenny Romine of Reynoldsburg, OH; many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.

John was born on July 3, 1943 to John H and Evelyn (Hoover) Romine in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Athens High School until he joined the United States Air Force in 1961, one month before his 18th birthday. John earned his GED while serving in the USAF.

After boot camp, John returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Mary E Bishop, on June 3, 1962. The couple spent two and a half years in Altus, OK where they had their first child, Janie D Romine, on her dad's 20th birthday, July 3, 1963. Their second child, Teresa A Romine, was born on October 19, 1966 in Athens, OH while John was on an eighteen-month duty assignment in Turkey.

During his career in the USAF, he was a lineman, an interior electrician and was in bare base, so he traveled all over the world. He liked the six-year assignment at Spangdalm, Germany the best. The whole family was together, and it was beautiful with lots of friends and many things to do which made the time go faster. There was a racetrack on base and John and Mary raced four of the six years they were there. After Germany, John was stationed at Eglin AFB in Florida, which he hated. After two years, he volunteered for Korea to get out of there. A year later, the Romine family was on their way to Holloman AFB, NM, the home they had been looking for. John retired in 1984 and they decided to make the Tularosa Basin their home where they remained for forty years.

After retiring from the USAF, John and Mary became managers of the Evergreen Mobile Home Park in Alamogordo for 25 years. During that time, John joined the New Mexico Mounted Patrol for approximately 16 years. He always had a story to tell about his adventures. He moved up the ranks and became the commander before he retired. Before he left Evergreen, they purchased fifty-five acres southwest of Tularosa where they started Our Family Ranch and started growing pistachio trees.

At the time of his death, John had been caring for just under 1400 pistachio trees and driving a school bus for the Blazer Bus Company in Tularosa, NM. Known as "Mr. John", he drove a bus for approximately 6 years with several of his great grandchildren riding his bus over the years as well.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2022 at the Alamogordo Funeral Home Chapel with Internment to follow at Monte Vista Cemetery in Alamogordo, NM. 

A Celebration of Life reception will follow services at 4:00 pm at the Masonic Lodge in Tularosa, NM.

The Romine family has entrusted their loved one to the care of Alamogordo Funeral Home to direct the Funeral Services.

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