William Wesley Ezell

William Wesley Ezell, Wes to those who knew and loved him, passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2023, after a brief battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; his daughters, Keli Krueger and Missi Jorgensen (husband Kris); and son, Wesley Ezell (wife Deana) and his grand dogs and buddies Maddi and Maggie. He is also survived by his grandson and granddaughter and 3 great-grandchildren. Wes is also survived by his two sisters-in-law, and many nieces, nephews, and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jess and Opal Ezell; his two brothers, George Ezell and Bob Ezell; and his two sisters, Betty Bates and Rozella Dick.

Wes had loving and cherished relationships with his nieces and nephews and their families, and with others who became loved and part of Wes's family.

Wes loved a good dad joke, fishing and the mountains and really terrible movies. One of his favorites was Tremors, which says it all. He baked with Betty Crocker and could plow through a plate of Karen's spaghetti. He was not a fan of reading all of the directions, couldn't fix a toilet for anything, but was a fan of the Denver Broncos. Even this season. He had a sweet tooth that was legendary, and loved watching Kids Baking Championship, Hallmark Christmas movies and Football. He also enjoyed anything Keli cooked on the grill, and always got a laugh giving her a hard time about burned bratwurst, because of that one time she incinerated them. Or teasing her after that time she hit herself on the head with a hammer. He enjoyed going to breakfast with his cousin Alan Lee, talking about their days of truck driving. He could still tell you how to get anywhere in the country and what highways you should take. He loved to tease Karen, and always got a kick out of getting her riled up.

Wes served in Vietnam, was awarded a Purple Heart and was a proud Marine. He was so proud of his family's service to our country, as many of his family have carried on the tradition of military service.

Karen and Keli would like to thank the many friends and family who have reached out with love and support, and also offer thanks and gratitude to the nurses and doctors at SRMC, the VA and the UNM Cancer Center who helped care for Wes.

In lieu of flowers, and if you are so moved, a donation to any charity that assists veterans or dogs would make him happy. Services to be determined later in the spring, because Wes hated wintertime and cold weather. An announcement will be made closer to the date.