Michael Clampitt

Michael Glen Clampitt was born on August 22, 1952, to Max and Wilma Clampitt and began his walk in Heaven on October 10, 2023.  He was 71 years young. Mike graduated from Hobbs High School in 1970 and went on to attend Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ, New Mexico Junior College, and the University of the Southwest here in Hobbs.

Mike grew up in Hobbs, NM with a great love of sports.  He started playing little league at age 8 in Eunice, NM and grew up playing baseball and played basketball for Ralph Tasker’s Hobbs Eagles and was on the Hobbs Eagles baseball team. Spotted by a scout at a baseball game in Roswell, NM, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 47^th round of the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft and played baseball with their minor league team in Mesa and Caldwell AZ. and Ogden, UT. until he was released from his contract.  Mike was also a singer and sang bass in the Hobbs High Acapella Choir and he was voted Best Personality by the senior class of 1970.

Mike was drafted by the Army but then joined the Army to be able to select a speciality – Sports.  His  years in the Army were spent in Colorado Springs, CO as the Athletic Director for the Army base.  He was in charge of the gym and the activities out of there.  While serving in the Army, Mike played on the All-Army Baseball team and the All-Army Volleyball team. He was able to be released from his military service early because he had a basketball scholarship for the New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs.

Mike’s work career included working for then Boys Club as their Program Director and scheduling all the programs involving the kids.  He left there after a few years and has worked for Rich Meat Services and Bo Monk Pipe Testing only to return to what he believed to be his true calling, the Boys Club, working with his mentor Gary Green.  He was always recruiting kids for the club’s programs and scheduling flag football, volleyball and basketball and any other activity the club offered. In his early days with the club, he was sent to the baseball complex on East Sanger to change out lightbulbs at one of the football fields.  While up in the ladder truck, he was electrocuted, drove himself to the Emergency Room and spent several days in ICU recovering. It was while working in the oilfield that he was asked to serve as the Chief Professional Officer for the club.  Under his leadership, the national organization changed their name and the club became the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs.   He worked tirelessly with the JF Maddox Foundation in the design and building of their beautiful new facility which is located now at 301 E. Broadway.  Mike had a great love and compassion for young people and knew he was to help make each kid feel important and loved. Together, he and Lou Jean were volunteer youth leaders at New Life Fellowship, pouring their love of Jesus into the youth there. His efforts were well known to the people in Hobbs and Lea County and his life touched everyone he came in contact with.  Mike’s calling was to make a difference in people’s lives, and he certainly accomplished that.

On a personal level, Mike met the love of his life, Lou Jean Denton Anderson and claimed her as his bride on July 11, 1980.  They had been married for 43 years.  An interesting sidenote here is that Mike and Lou Jean were married at the courthouse in Lovington, NM and immediately drove to Lubbock, TX where Mike played in a softball tournament and then went fishing with his good friend Don Gerth for a week!  He loved playing ball, whether it was fast pitch, slow pitch, baseball or softball it didn’t matter.  He just loved to play!

Mike is survived by his wife, Lou Jean of the home and their son Lance and Jennifer (Addison) Anderson of Albuquerque and their 2 children; daughter Dana and Sean Huntsman of Cedar Park, TX and their son; daughter Ashley Clampitt Reyes of Hobbs and her 2 children; mother-in-love Glenna Denton of Hobbs; mother Wilma Clampitt of Hobbs; sister Donna and David Hooten of Hobbs. Together they have 5 grandchildren as well as several cousins and other relatives including Lou Jean’s brother Jimmy and Ann Denton of Logan, NM.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, that donations be made in Mike’s memory to the Boys & Girls Club of Hobbs, 301 E. Broadway Hobbs, NM  88240

Mike Clampitt was loved and respected by so many people and there is a huge void now in Hobbs.  Rest easy Mike and give our dads a hug.