Harold Boardwine

A private service will be held to send The Great Gumba to the "Great Truck Wash in the Sky."



On Sunday, August 4, 2019, Harold Dean Board-wine (Boardy), loving husband, dad, and papa was called home to our Lord. He was surrounded by family and passed away peacefully.



Boardy was born in Lefors, Texas on April 17, 1935. He worked in the oil fields in Hobbs, New Mexico. During 1959, there was an oil slump which forced Boardy to change careers to become a uranium miner. In 1960 he began working at the Blackjack Mine on the bull gang and worked his way up as a contract miner. Boardy loved mining and was honored to mentor the younger miners. He was known to say, "I love my work. I will stay in mining the rest of my life."



When the uranium mines closed in 1983, Boardy and his wife, Maxine, purchased the Milan Truck Wash. Amidst the slowing economy, Boardy and Maxine built the company together which has become a successful family business.



Boardy loved his customers and their loyalty. He became a successful businessman, yet often reminisced about his work at the uranium mines. He loved mining and said that he would go back to work there in a heartbeat if he could, stating "I would do it again if I had my life to live over."



Boardy always enjoyed sharing his humor, his love for life, and mining with family, friends, and anyone who stopped to listen to his stories. He knew no strangers.



Boardy loved fishing, telling big fish stories, car-racing, and mud bogging but his legacy is his undeniable love for his family and friends. Boardy enjoyed the strategy of card games, dominos, cribbage and it especially made his day when he won playing against his sister-in-law, Sue Jacques-Zeman. Boardy was also an avid bowler on numerous leagues and had so many bowling balls the family could not keep up with them.



Boardy was preceded in death by his parents: Lee and Vera Boardwine; all his siblings; and son Billy Hyer.



Boardy is survived by the love of his life: Maxine, his devoted wife of 51 years; his children: Clyde and wife Nancy, Johnny and wife Melissa, Cynthia Vick, Pam White and husband Jim; his grandchildren: Kelli Purrington, Catharine Embrey, Brandon Rodriguez, Joaquin Rodriguez, Sonnia Cassidy, William Hyer, Lisha Hyer, and Ashley Noel; Boardy was blessed with 17 great grandchildren.