William "Bill" F. Hartwell (Born May 18, 1964)  On March 3, 2026 William passed peacefully yet suddenly, joining his parents, Fred and Ellen "Smooch" Hartwell and his best friend Carlos Trujillo, all formerly of Douglas, AZ.  The guys are either rebuilding engines or helping St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.  The youngest of four, Bill leaves behind a brother (Robert Hartwell), two sisters (Sandra Davis and Adona Guerrero), six nieces and nephews, sixteen great nieces and nephews and five great greats born in the last three years, too young to be fascinated by his Looney Tunes tattoos or the rumble of laughing with "Uncle Bill"

The son of a Phelps-Dodge machinest, Bill was in his 24th year operating heavy equipment for the same company, now called Freeport-McMoRan.  He ran a shovel at the Chino mine with competitive skill, intense focus on safety, and camaraderie.  His integrity and humor as a coworker and trainer was greatly appreciated.  Bill was never afraid to do thing the right way, make a joke or investigate something new.

Bill had a flair for engines beyond muscle cars and tractors.  He was driven to make things work as well as he could.  He was a shade tree mechanic, motorcycle enthusiast, and dedicated husband in his spare time.

Bill was a big-hearted man with many talents he freely shared.  He played the euphonium for the Douglas Bulldog Band in 1981 which happened to be a State Championship year.  Bill marched again with the band so recently as Homecoming 2023.  He made his acting debut in 2012 in the Deming Writers Group's performance of "Tales From Six Feet Under".  His baritone delivery of Johnny Cash tunes will be missed at karaoke in seven counties.

He connected with his wife, Nadine, volunteering as the music maestro for an annual animal rescue fundraiser in Bisbee, Arizona seventeen years ago.  They have given a forever home to many dogs and a cat in the all too brief time they had together.  The Land of Enchantment, our corner of it in Deming, NM and the squatchy lands up north will not be the same without him.

A smoked meat and dessert celebration of Bill's life will be held on Sunday May 17th, the day before his 62nd birthday at 12 noon at the Elks Lodge.  Come share a story, and likely a song.

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